The Dance of Spring and Death
by katrinthebean
Summary: Hades is bitter at the world after being betrayed by the gods; Persephone feels frustrated and trapped by her mother. The two are fated to meet, but is that enough to keep them together?
1. Prologue: The Betrayal

**If any of you are interested, I have complied a playlist of songs that I feel go along well with the characters of Hades and Persephone. You can find it at** **playlist?list=PL5KSQhVpG-QFLnZjVPLT5VIVqBbjeAEQF** **(and, yes, I realize that a majority of it is Mumford and Sons...but what can I say? They have really great moody songs.)**

Prologue: The Betrayal

Two gods stood on the edge of an abyss. One, the taller of the two, looked down into the gaping earth with eyes as deep blue as the sky.

"We finally are rid of him, brother," he said. "We could never have done it without your help."

He clapped his younger brother on the shoulder with a smile. Next to the thick beard, the long, tangled hair, and the broad shoulders of his older brother, the younger one looked hardly more than a youth. His eyes were blue as well, but of a lighter shade and his hair and small beard were golden as the Spring.

"Come," said the older, "it's time to return to Olympus. We must announce the succession." He started to walk away, expecting his brother to follow him. "I trust you won't forget your promise," he said over his shoulder.

"About that, Hades…." Zeus, the younger of the two's, voice was hesitant, almost fearful. "I was speaking to the other gods and they thought that it wouldn't be proper for the King of the Gods to rule anything but the sky."

Hades stopped dead. His fists were clenched, which betrayed his calm voice, "They want me for their king, then? I had thought it was decided that you would be a good choice, the Hero of the Titan War and all. However, if it's want the siblings want, I can assert my right as the eldest."

"No, they still want me to be King-"

"Then what is this talk about the King and the sky? You have already promised it to me in return for my support."

"Hades, we decided that it might be better for a god of your strength and ability to guard our father's prison. If he were to escape, we need a strong first defense."

"You mean, _you_ want a god of my strength out of the way, so that you don't have any other clear contender for the throne."

"It was a decision reached by all of us-"

"Without me."

"Everyone thought it would be the wisest course."

Hades was breathing heavily now and rage shone in his eyes. "Everyone? Poseidon, Hera, Demeter, Aphrodite? They all agreed to this?"

"Well, Poseidon is better suited for the ocean, don't you think?" Zeus had gained confidence and he took on a slight smirk. "He doesn't have the proper temperament to rule the Underworld. And Hera, well, she dislikes the water and I couldn't very well live with my new Queen in the ocean, could I? And Aphrodite-"

"You bribed them all."

"That's a crude word for it." His eyebrows furrowed in feigned distress. "I didn't bribe them. I helped them see the advantage of having a King that was ruler of the skies as well."

"Even Hestia turned against me?" A note of rough sadness crept into the god's voice at the mention of his favorite sister.

"You know Hestia. She hates a conflict. Once everyone had made up their minds, she joined the majority."

Zeus walked to his brother and put a hand on his shoulder ceremoniously. "As King, I name thee, Hades, Lord of the Underworld, God of the Dead." With that, he walked away, leaving Hades alone to deal with his fate.

What fully had passed that day in the Underworld was never revealed by either brother and the part of the betrayal that the Originals played was buried deep in each of their hearts, almost forgotten by all except the one betrayed.

What anger burned in Hades' heart that day can hardly be written. It lasted thousands of years, quietly smoldering into bitterness as century after century passed. Whispers came of the god's harshness. His kingdom, they said, was ruled by an iron fist and followed strict laws that none, not even the gods of Olympus, were exempt from. And so, the years passed, unable to reach the cold heart of Hades, until, one day, Fate took an unexpected turn...


	2. Chapter 1: Hades

If I had my choice, I would never set foot in the hyperbolized Mt. Olympus. I knew I was despised there and that my very presence made all those around me uneasy. I could see it in their eyes whenever they accidently met mine. It was usually accompanied by a shudder and their eyes quickly darted away or maybe they would let even a look of outright disgust show. But my pompous brother Zeus liked to show off too much and, being King of the Gods, he had it in his power to command us all to attend meetings or, as was the case on that fateful day, feasts.

This day, it was a feast to celebrate Zeus' spawning another child. Who the mother was or what marvelous gifts the child were to have were little concern to me. All that mattered to me was that I had to put up with the inane Olympians for an entire night.

The feast was held in one of the temples that dotted the mountainside. Zeus' temple, to be exact. It was his personal palace that he used when he wasn't at his official seat, the largest of the temples and it stood at the very top of the mountain.

The temple we were in now was essentially a glorified pavilion, with a high, elaborately carved ceiling and tall, wide pillars supporting it. Yards upon yards of gauzy material hung from the outer edges of the roof, billowing slightly in the wind. The inside was packed with gods, nymphs, goddess, satyrs, dryads, and heroes. They sat at tables, lounged on pillows, or milled about as they saw fit, eating, laughing, talking, singing, and ignoring me.

At the head of the room was the tallest and the longest table, the one reserved only for the most powerful of the gods and goddesses. And I, unfortunately, was counted as one of them. As Lord of the Dead, it was generally assumed that it would be best not to offend me. Who knows what I might do to them? Deny them or their favorite heroes a place in Elysium or maybe curse them and send monsters to devour their flesh? Or perhaps I would do something much worse. No. It was better to invite me and tolerate my presence for one short evening that to risk such a fate.

I, by my own choice, sat at the end of the banquet table, as far from Zeus as possible. To my right was one of the only gods who wasn't bothered by my presence, Ares, god of war. He was no stranger to death and didn't fear it, unlike the other gods, and so he was one of the few gods that I could associate with some measure of freedom.

At the moment, however, he was engrossed in a conversation with Athena, the Maiden Warrior, of a war that recently ended. It was quickly turning into an argument, as most conversations with Ares tended to do, and the gods sitting around them braced themselves for a fight. One of the armies was supported by Ares and the other, Athena. That never boded well for peace on Olympus.

"My men were all heroes!" Boasted Ares with an empathic pound on the table. "Each of my warriors easily killed ten of your schoolboys. Better men never walked this earth." At Ares' words, the cold fury of Athena's eyes flared, showing that the dispute was reaching a dangerous level.

" _You_ call them heroes," Athena cut in. Her voice was clear as the morning air and eyes were as hard as steel. "But I doubt that they had ever done a thing in their lives worth honoring. My men, on the other hand, lived lives that were virtuous and they deserve the title of hero more than your brutes do."

I was distracted for a moment from the argument by the long expected arrival of the Nymph servers. The tall women of the trees waved as they walked, like branches in the wind and one was brave enough to come forward and serve me ambrosia and nectar, the food and drink of the gods. I eagerly began to eat, listening again with amusement to Athena and Ares.

"Fine," Ares was saying, "if it's a matter of who had the more heroes, we can settle this with ease. Hades!" Ares turned to me and slapped me on the back and I choked on my drink in surprise. "You're the Lord of the Dead. Are there more of my warriors who were nursed on blood or more of the milksops who choose to follow a woman to battle in Elysium?"

Through the coughing fit that took me, I glared at Ares. He knew that I disliked being brought into the spotlight, but I suppose I could see why he did it. Frightened of me as people were, they would probably not contradict anything I said, thus ending the argument one way or another. It was an unusual tactic for the straightforward and rather blunt god of war. In general, he would bellow his opinion over and over again until his opposers gave up in frustration. This new strategy caught everyone unawares, especially me.

All eyes turned to me, making me wish I had decided to bring my Helm of Darkness, a helmet that would render the wearer undetectable from all eyes, even those of the other gods. I knew that when I had left that Underworld that I would want it, but had decided against it at the last moment. Now, I was red from coughing and embarrassment and would have loved nothing more than to simply disappear from sight.

After my coughing fit died down, I summoned all the diplomacy and dignity I could and said, "Both sides had good men. Many ended up in Elysium."

"Come, Hades," called Apollo from down the table. "That is hardly a satisfactory answer."

I stared him down until his smile disappeared and he shrank back into his chair.

"Many died," said Athena after an awkward pause with a voice that could have frozen the fires of the Prometheus, "more than needed to." She gave me a pointed glare.

I couldn't repress rolling my eyes. How many times did I have to explain this to her?

"Athena, I don't choose who dies and who lives. I only decide where their souls go. If you're looking for someone to blame, Thanatos is the actual god of death and the Fates decide what everyone does anyway." I waved a hand towards the three aging women who huddled together and the edge of the room. They stared eerily at individuals, muttering to each other ominously occasionally. No wonder they were avoided more than even I was.

Athena spared a glance towards the Fates and then back away, dismissing them with a disdainful curl of her lips. She still regarded me, as she usually did, with a chilling eye, but dropped the matter, as I had hoped she would. With the argument between Ares and Athena brought to such an abrupt end, conversations moved to other subjects and I became bored with the dull minds of my fellow Olympians. All they ever seemed to talk about was Zeus. Zeus and his affairs, or what Zeus was wearing this year, or which hero had risen to occupy the spot of honor is Zeus' eyes. Zeus, Zeus, Zeus. And my little brother was the last person I wanted to talk to, talk about, think about, see, hear, or smell.

 _Definitely not smell._ I thought wryly.

All this talk about Zeus was making me lose what little appetite I had. I stood abruptly and left my food all but untouched to take a stroll around the room.

At the High Table, where I had just left, were the twelve major gods and goddesses. Zeus was at the head, with Hera, his queen, on his right. They were, at first appearance, the perfect couple; a blend of aged learning and youthful beauty. In reality, Zeus often found companionship in the arms of others, much to Hera's continued annoyance. Even now, in front of his wife and all his guests, I could see Zeus pinching one of the serving girls.

Along the table sat Poseidon, the Sea god. With his long beard spilling down his bare chest and his prized Triton in his hand, he looked the very image of an old fisherman. Of course, he was larger and more muscular than any mortal could ever dream to be. I had little to do with the man, and we were both happy to mutually ignore one another.

The messenger god, Hermes, was done eating and plucked softly at his lyre, adding what even I had to admit was a pleasant tone to the indistinct chatter. He was considered by many to be one of the bravest of gods, since I permitted him, under Zeus' command, to come to the Underworld to act as Zeus' messenger. I, however, took a perverse satisfaction in the knowledge that he usually left my kingdom trembling in fear, mostly thanks to my efforts.

Apollo sat next to his twin sister, Artemis. They played out the dance of sun and moon, respectively, every day together. Even now, he radiated with all the brilliance of the sun and she glowed gently with a silvery sheen. I hadn't spoken much to either one, they being relatively new to our midst, but they struck me as more empty headed than the rest of the pantheon.

Demeter, the goddess of the harvest, ate gracefully and calmly. But she was not what she first seemed to be either. The tightness of her grip as she grasped a goblet and the hardness of her eyes betrayed the facade and gave a hint to her obdurate personality.

The ever lovely Aphrodite sat talking animatedly to Dionysus, the wine god, while her deformed husband, Hephaestus, the smith of the gods, talked to Ares about swords. The sidelong glances between Aphrodite and Ares were obvious, despite the fact that they took pains to speak to other people. Poor Hephaestus was probably the only god who was still unaware that his wife was sleeping with another man. I supposed that he was too tame for the goddess of love and beauty and that Aphrodite must have found something exciting about Ares' passion and savagery.

Athena sat quietly, but on edge, her hand never far from the hilt of her sword. Always ready for a fight, that one was, but she usually played fair. She held me in absolute contempt and that was the end and beginning our interactions and relationship.

Scattered around the room were the insignificant beings that I never bothered with: heroes, spirits, and various minor deity. They all drank freely and gossiped merrily.

How I loathed them all.

The excess, the gluttony, the _hypocrisy_ of the entire pantheon made me sick. One would think that I would be used to it after all these years, but my heavy lot in life guaranteed that I never could be.

That being the case, I kept as much distance as I could from the celebrations as I prowled along the edge of the room. _Like a moody vulture._

My mother's words, unwittingly her last, from so long ago came abruptly into my mind, said in a moment of jest that I turned quickly into bitterness. The thought of her made me glower more fiercely than before, which caused a few people looking my way to wince and quickly turn their attention elsewhere. That was part of the reason I wasn't well liked. Everyone always thought I was glaring at them. That was only true a small part of the time, because I had something far worse than their petty acts of stupidity to make me angry-

 _But no,_ I reminded myself, _I'm not going to think about it._

Living alone as I did gave me too much time with my thoughts, so I had to put boundaries on myself. Anything before becoming the Lord of the Underworld was off limits, but especially thoughts of my mother.

Frustrated with myself for letting this occasion upset me enough to break one of my rules, I sent another glare across the room without thinking. This time, a group of nymphs were my unintentional victims, causing them to scurry away as though they had been burned.

 _Idiot._

Even if I hadn't been so moody, I would still be considered an outcast. I kept my black hair and beard short and neatly styled, which contrasted with the long, curly, and even unruly hair and beards worn by the other gods. Amid their flowing, colorful robes, my fitted dark clothing made me stand out as starkly as a raven among the birds of paradise.

In fact, I wasn't included with the twelve gods and goddesses who were worshiped as Olympians, though I did as much work or more for the mortals as they. However, the lack of piety had long ceased to bother me. I knew that eventually all mortals would, one by one, come pay their respects to me. And I would make them pay dearly when they did.

I came to a rest from my wandering and casually leaned against a pillar, one of the outer ones that allowed me to look over the vast valley below. The sun had already disappeared below the horizon, leaving the sky a dying blue, and night was rapidly approaching. Staring out over the gray landscape, I longed for the uncertainty of the twilight to be over so that I could welcome the quiet of darkness and I wished that this over-long feast were at an end.

"I'll wager I can guess your thoughts," a voice behind me said. It had a sultry and smooth quality to it, like honey oozing into your mouth, yet had an undertone of poison. Sweet, sweet poison. And that is what she was: Aphrodite, goddess of love and beauty, the most feared goddess in Olympus. She had to power to make any man or woman into love's fool with a single prick of her son's golden arrows. All knew of her power, especially Aphrodite herself, and she used it to her full advantage.

I didn't bother to look back at her, knowing just how much that would infuriate her. "I seriously doubt it."

"Hmm…." I felt her slip her hands over my shoulders and press her body lightly against mine. "Perhaps not. Although, I hope that it is a woman that preoccupies you so. It worries me, Hades, to see you always alone."

Keeping my back towards Aphrodite for too long was dangerous, so I turned around and received the full, unadulterated force of her beauty. As goddess of beauty, she outshone everyone around her as aggressively as the sun outshines a candle. Every feature, every line, and, especially, every curve defied mortal or immortal description, other than one single word: _perfect_. There was no room for her stunning perfection to be a matter of opinion because it was law. Even I, who was so hardened against all of Olympus, was momentarily stunned by it. Her hair was finer than the purest gold forged by Hephaestus, her eyes were a deeper purple than the lilacs of the field, and her skin was softer than the down of swan feathers.

"Come, Hades," she simpered, with her arms still threaded around my neck, "find some sweet, young thing and take a break from looking so melancholy all the time. Who knows? You might even enjoy it."

"No. Thank you." I didn't want her thinking she could get under my skin, so I made an extra effort to make my tone flat and emotionless.

Lines appeared between her flawless eyebrows and her eyes had a sudden spark of anger in them. In a moment, the look passed and Aphrodite laughed and leaned in close to my ear. "I accept the challenge," she whispered and left me with a brush of a kiss burning on my cheek.

I breathed a sigh of relief when she was gone. At least I had kept my wits about me, which is more than most men would be able to say after being faced with her. I didn't like her tone, however, with that last thing she had said. I would have to keep my guard up to avoid her and her scheming son, Eros. That boy could do more damage with his love arrows than Apollo could with all his plagues.

During that interruption from Aphrodite, the dusk had faded to night. I stared longingly over the dark valley, feeling some measure of comfort from its familiarity. Would that I could return to its welcoming arms and forgiving caress. But even if I did, a part of me would miss the exposure to the light and be drawn to it, like a moth to the flame. I might as well get a large dose of it now and perhaps cure myself of the desire for a time.

A sigh of regret was on my lips now as I returned to my seat and gave the room a glance to see what state things were in now. Most gods were now good and drunk and ready for more merriment than simply food and drink could provide. They began to crowd into the center of the room and called to Hermes and Apollo for music.

A few individuals kept to the sides of the room, and that is how I first noticed her.

She was a smaller goddess, in terms of her presence, and she seemed hardly more than a girl, though, as I continued to observe her, I decided that she was most likely only a few centuries old. If she had had even a few other goddesses around her, she scarcely would have been significant in comparison, but alone, something about her seemed to distinctive. She was tall and slim and wore a light green chiton. Her hair, which was an iridescent gold, was in a braid that fell down past her waist. I was seized with a sudden desire to see it set free, to see it move, to see it _live._ Everything about her was careful, from her simple garments to her way of holding herself. What would happen, I wondered, if she let go?

I moved closer to her, while still being careful not to be seen by her, fascinated. I could hardly explain my sudden interest, even to myself, but I knew that I wanted nothing more than to watch her.

Perhaps the energy of my stare could be felt by her, because she unexpectedly looked my way and I received a shock: her eyes were black. As black as my own.

The only people that had black eyes were those that could see the dead or Underworld deity, like myself or Thanatos, the god of death. I wasn't born with mine, but rather they had darken from their original blue when I became the Lord of the Underworld.

 _Hair like the sun and eyes with death in them._ It only intrigued me further. Who was this girl?

"Ares!" I caught him by the sleeve as he walked past me and pull him closer. "Who is the girl with the blonde hair, over there?" I nodded towards her.

Ares, though surprised at my sudden question, looked over and thought for a moment. "I believe that is Demeter's daughter, oh what's her name? You remember a few centuries back when she and Zeus…." He made a crude gesture and laughed. "Well, that," he pointed to the girl, "was the result. I can't imagine what possessed my father to go after Demeter in the first place. She's a fine looking woman, no mistake about it. Good shape. But," he lowered his voice to a conspiratorial whisper, "she's the type of woman to make life hell for any man."

I nodded with fervent agreement. Demeter was an extremely dominating woman and she kept a tight rein over everything in her life, including her daughter from what I heard. She had been born that way: overbearing and controlling. It was one of the things I remembered best about my...uncomfortable childhood.

"I thought she didn't let the girl out among the other gods. Why is she here?" I asked.

Ares shrugged his shoulders and impatiently glanced towards Aphrodite, who was lying seductively on a nearby couch, unabashedly batting her eyes his way. "Whatever Father commands is done. That's why you're here, isn't it? Excuse me, will you?" Without another word to me, Ares shot off towards Aphrodite. His abruptness didn't bother me, though. In fact, I was rather relieved by it, since it prevent questions about this sudden interest of mine, something I was having a hard time explaining to myself.

Everyone finished rearranging themselves around the room, allowing various circles to form for a variety of entertainments. I found myself by a group of obnoxious satyrs, who were giving me the usual uncomfortable looks. That was my cue to move. I claimed a chair far from the center of the room and the clumps of eager viewers, pulled close to the fire.

I had no idea why, but I had always found Olympus to be too cold. Perhaps it had to do with the elevation, or maybe the cool marble and the wide open spaces invited a chill to the air. Either way, I was glad of the warmth.

"Hello, Hades," said a muted voice from behind me. I looked over my shoulder to see Hestia. As the goddess of the hearth, she never strayed far from it. Beyond that, she was my sister and the only child of Cronus and Rhea, other than myself, to be excluded from the title of Olympian. Perhaps this exclusion is what built up a sort of fellowship between us, though it was different for each of us. I had been forced out, whereas she was a volunteer to keep the peace, which was the motivation for most of her actions, it seemed. She was the only being I knew in all my long years that was truly, genuinely selfless and, therefore, was the only person for whom I had a shred of respect towards. She even went so far as to welcome me whenever she saw me, despite the reluctant attitude of the other gods.

"Hello," I answered, nodding pleasantly.

"How fares your hearth?" Was her inquiry in return. Though she was mild-mannered almost to a fault, her eyes were keen and perceptive and caught my discomfort at her question. Her voice held no reproach as she asked, "You have not spent time near it recently, have you?"

I sighed. "No, Hestia, I have not. I've been very busy."

Her face softened and took on a slightly worried look. "The hearth is the center of a home, Hades. You, out of all my brothers and sisters, concern me most. There is much turmoil within you and your heart is restless. It searches for a place to call home, and so your hearth is also troubled."

"If my hearth is so troubled, I do not wish to spend time near it. I have trouble and turmoil enough in my life without it." I responded brusquely, not quite meeting her eye as I spoke.

She placed one of her coarse, worn hands on my cheek and said, in a mild tone, "It is simply reflecting your own struggles, dear. You will learn to read your own thoughts by looking to it."

With that, our conversation was over. It was always this way with my sister: she would say no more nor less than what she wanted. Hestia went back to tending the fire, and I turned my attention to the center of the room, where performances of strength and grace were underway. I found that Hestia's heartfelt suggestion bothered me much less than did Aphrodite's more...seductive one, which reminded me of Aphrodite's half-threat. _I accept the challenge,_ she had said. I wondered idly what she had in store for me as I watched the different performances.

I had little interest in the feats of strength. Nothing seemed difficult for deity, not even lifting the weight of the world on our shoulders, so why even compete? But the finer arts...now that was something that demanded admiration. It was not so easy, I've found over the years, for gods to know matters of the soul, which is the realm where the arts dwell. There is a difficulty in understanding and expressing what happens in one's own heart, much less the heart of others and I place more value on that than on what one's body could accomplish. So, I watched the dancers.

Artemis, with her Nymphs, had started off, weaving a intricate pattern that I took to be about hunting deer.

 _Hardly original or entertaining,_ I scoffed silently to myself.

Aphrodite, of course, didn't hold back from showing off and followed Artemis. As one might have expected, it was a dance that drew the dumb attention of every male in the room. Something was lacking in it, though. Where was the deeper feeling?

 _Isn't that what love really is?_ I asked to myself. _Isn't it caring about someone beyond what their body can offer you? Aphrodite could be so much more great if that is the sort of love she promoted._ It was regretful, it truly, truly was, that she couldn't reach beyond the shallowness of Olympus to some greater purpose.

Aphrodite finished with one last flare, causing many to call for another dance. She, with assumed humility, demurred. Everyone who had considered dancing looked at one another, intimidated by such popularity and reluctant to follow. Then, after a long pause that almost lost my interest, _she_ stepped forward.

The girl's movements were tentative as she began her dance without any music. I leaned forward, waiting for that moment I had longed for earlier, waiting for her to _let go._ The musicians were slow on the uptake, but the flute player struck up a tune. It was light and quick, matching the girl's evolving steps. The musician was a master at his craft, as seen by how he followed every mood that she showed. At first she was delicate and inconsequential. _I'm just another dancer_ she seemed to say. Then, she stamped her foot and stood rigidly still, all except for the slow, heavy pounding of her foot. The abrupt changed grabbed people's attention and a drum joined in the dance.

Now was the moment, I could feel it. Now was when she would be free. I watched her, with lips parted in awe, as she stopped pounding her foot, looked around at her audience and gave a sudden, tantalizing smile. Then she was gone, dancing as though she were the wind, the storm, the lighting, the sun, and all at once. The musicians struggled to keep up and were put to the test of their craft by a dancer superior to any I had ever seen before.

Watching her, the song felt familiar and wild and strange. What the deeper meaning to her dance was, I couldn't begin to fathom, but I wanted to discover it. I _needed_ to discover it and let it discover me. If I had been a more impulsive person, I might have felt inclined to join in the dance myself, but self control and the sure knowledge that I would make a fool of myself kept me firmly rooted in place until the dance was over.

The girl wound down her dance, slowing it until she was as calm as a flowing river or a blowing breeze. With one, last movement, she bowed herself to the ground and the dance ended.

Silence followed.

There was a smattering of applause after the pause and I let go of the breath I had been holding. What had just happened? I joined in on the applause just as it was dying out.

It was only then that I noticed Demeter seething on the edges of the crowd, not too far, actually, from where I was. The girl saw her mother and dutifully went over to her. From where I was sitting, I could hear their conversation.

"Kore! How many times have I told you not to make a spectacle of yourself?" Demeter demanded in an undertone, though it still carried to my listening ears.

Kore. It was the name of a child, a diminutive. I wrinkled my forehead. What sort of mother named her daughter something that no woman would ever be called?

Kore bowed her head, whether as a sign of submission or to hide her emotions, I couldn't tell. She seemed to shrink and become almost insignificant standing next to her mother. I never would have given her a second thought if I hadn't had seen her dance before.

"Dancing," Demeter continued, "is only appropriate when it is with other women, or for your husband. Putting yourself on display like that was completely wanton and may have already drawn unwanted attention-"

Demeter's tirade was interrupted by a nymph, bringing with her a message from Zeus.

"Can't it wait?" She snapped, her eyes still on her daughter.

"No, milady." The nymph quavered, daunted by the fury in the tall goddess' eyes as she sneered at the messenger.

"Wait here. I shall return in a moment."

Kore, now separated from the overpowering influence of her mother, came into herself again, though she was back to bearing herself with that same carefulness that I had noted earlier.

That irritated me. She had the potential be this free creature, wild and alive, but her mother oppressed her so strongly that she had to watch her actions even when Demeter wasn't around. If _I_ were alone with Kore, I would make her feel at ease, help put her off her guard. I would-

I realized suddenly the dangerous turn my thoughts were taking. _If I were alone with her,_ I told myself firmly, _I would keep my distance._

That hypothetical situation came into reality much quicker than I would have thought, because Koresat down not to far from me, just out of arm's reach. I raised my eyebrows in surprise and unconsciously angled my body towards her, leaning forward slightly. I opened my mouth to speak and had a strange, disembodied moment where I stood on a precipice between speaking to her and remaining silent. The potential of each choice was palpable, crackling in the air between us. Then, forgetting my resolve of only a moment before, I took the plunge.

"You did very well," I remarked, nodding over towards the dancers. _Idiot!_ I thought immediately. _Of all the things you could have said to her, you went with a generic compliment?_

Korelooked behind her, as if to see who I was talking to, then seemed startled when she realized that I meant her. "Me?" She asked.

"Yes. I've rarely seen a performance that I've enjoyed more. You have such...passion."

Korelooked away, embarrassed.

"You mother doesn't approve, I take it?"

"No," she shook her head and met my eyes for a fleeting moment. She hesitated before continuing. "She believes in decorum above all."

"You disagree?" I shifted my chair slightly towards her, hungry for almost any response that she might give me.

"I…I don't know. Decorum is useful, but it isn't-I don't know how to put it."

"Living?" I suggested.

"Yes, it isn't living."

A few moments of silence followed and I was unsure of whether or not to break it. I didn't want the weak connection to fade, but at the same time, I wished that she would be the one to keep it, to give me some sort of sign that she felt somewhat the same.

Koreturned suddenly towards me, opened her mouth, but seemed to think better of what she was going to say and turned away almost immediately. I raised an eyebrow.

"What is it you were going to say?" I asked eagerly.

"Oh, it was...that is, I was just wondering…" she trailed off into a confused silence. I saw her eyes dart towards her mother, who wasn't paying attention to her daughter at all, for the moment. (I could tell, even from here, that Demeter and Zeus were arguing and, unsurprisingly, it seemed like Demeter was winning.)

The girl's dark eyes flashed upwards at me, and there was that fire and movement that I witnessed before, tightly confined, but surging up forcefully. This was one with a strong spirit, I could tell, and I felt myself slip away further and further into its depths, helpless to pull myself out and unwilling to even try. She lowered her eyes again to her hands.

The world was carrying on. Everyone around us was still speaking in the same irreverent tones, oblivious to the short, though intensely deep, moment that I had felt steal away my reasoning mind. Even she was unaware of it.

"Go on," I prompted after a moment. My voice was close to hoarseness.

She laughed a bit to herself, shaking her head at some thought that I couldn't read on her face. It was a soft laugh, and sweet. The corners of my mouth twitched ever so slightly upward in response. I had the sudden desire to have the ability to easily bring that laughter out of her, the sort of talent I had never possessed, nor had particularly wished to possess before.

"I wanted to ask why you dress like that." She said candidly. Her eyes darted to mine, and I forgot everything again in that moment.

 _Wake up!_ A warning in my mind screamed. _Something's wrong_. I ignored it and let myself float vaguely along in this sudden new world that I had been pushed into.

Her words came to me as though from a great distance and I processed them slowly, in a haze. She was referring to my dark clothes, which were different from anything that the rest of the world wore, or had even seen. I wore a collared gray shirt and black tie under a fitted black suit with black leather shoes, which felt more confining than the robes and sandals the other gods wore, but I found to be more functional. I was unsure exactly of where or _when_ they had come from, but after being ostracized from Olympus for so many eras, I decided to use it for my advantage. If I was to be different, then I would never let any Olympian forget it.

My original reasons seemed so petty now, like a young boy rebelling against his parents or like one that had fate so wholly against him that he scrambled for any moment of defiance. I didn't want to present myself in that way to this girl, so young, so innocent. Though it was repressed, I could see that there was still hope in her eyes for the future. She knew the unkindness of fate, I could see that, but she had yet to know the depths of its cruelty. That hope had been missing in myself for some time now, but, for the first time since my future was taken so suddenly from me, I felt something like it stirring back up in my heart. I wanted to nurture it, not just in myself, but in her as well, so I simply said,

"I have many responsibilities, and clothes like these don't hinder my movement."

"Oh." Kore nodded, accepting the explanation easily.

We both fell into silence, but neither of us felt the need to break it this time. I wanted to study her, but felt that that would have almost been an intrusion of sorts. We were both still little more than strangers to each other. Strangers in a chance meeting. I contented myself with stealing glances at her instead.

I noticed her hand resting now on the arm of her chair. The simplicity and grace of its lines fascinated me. It was almost as if she had been carved of fine marble, with fair, smooth skin and perfectly formed fingers. They were the hands of an artist, one who was deft in her craft and knew how to create beauty, and yet there was something practical about them. I could image these same hands covered in dirt and grasping at a stubborn weed. I could also image these hands reaching out in tenderness towards someone, a child perhaps, to help and give assistance. How would such a hand feel in mine?

My own hands were rough and calloused from the nature of my daily activities: riding, wielding a sword or a whip, driving my chariot. They even bore the calluses of a scholar, since I spent a portion of my time writing out the events of the days. They were unskilled in matters of art; I had never understood how to translate my feelings into any sort of medium. They were for practical use. By their use, however, my mind was made free to wander where it would. Many a dark place I had gone in my mind as I had accomplished the mundane tasks of my day. I look again at her face, which was turned away from me, and I thought, with a sense of lightness that was akin to a smile, that perhaps my mind would now wander in paths of sunlight, lit brightly with memories of Kore.

I almost reached out for her hand, more words forming themselves on my tongue, when I saw what she was looking at.

Demeter.

She had clearly finished her argument with Zeus and was now searching for Kore in the crowd. Any moment now she would spot her. Any moment now she would see her daughter sitting next to a man that she despised.

That moment was easy enough to tell, even from this distance. Demeter's expression turned cold as ice, ready to freeze the feelings of others, and as hot as fire, ready to scorch and burn resistance. She advanced on us like a hawk on its prey.

Kore, even though her mother had not yet reached us, winced. "I should go," she muttered, rising to leave.

Before I had time to react, she had already slipped away through the crowd to her mother. With her gone, it was like I had been stabbed in the back, sudden and quick, so that all the breath was driven out of me. My head swam from the strange physical reaction I was having as I stood up quickly, trying desperately to catch a glimpse of her. I pushed past a group of satyrs, whose indignant words died in their mouths when they saw it was the mighty and feared Lord of the Underworld who had so rudely brushed by.

I spotted Kore again, just in time to see her reach her mother. Demeter's livid anger was apparent to all around her, but the crowd was so thick that most didn't notice the scene. Any sane person would have easily seen that this was not the time to further press my acquaintance with Kore, but, fool that I was, I made my way towards them. Demeter saw me before I was within a hundred yards of them, however, and she gripped Koreby her upper arm and dragged her daughter out of the pavilion. Kore submitted meekly to her mother's rough handling, never hesitating or rebelling against her.

Except.

Except when they got to where a servant was waiting with a chariot for them. They were too far ahead for me to catch, but Koresaw me bursting out of the pavilion in pursuit. I saw her smile softly and she raised a hand to me in farewell.

Then they were gone.

I struck at the nearest column with my fist in frustration. Why was this to always be my fate? To have a chance for joy, no matter how small or large it may be, snatched from my grasp the moment I reach for it. I turned to the room full of deity. The most powerful beings in the world were there, but what could they do? What could any of us do? We were but pawns to a larger game, being moved around in a game that none of us could as yet understand. It was the cruel joke of the universe, to call us gods and give us a taste of power, but then to subject us all to the same force that drove the path of every living being, no matter how "powerful."

I was still visibly seething from irritation and rage when I came out of my thoughts again. I couldn't go back in there. I couldn't face the lies and the hypocrisy, the endless masquerade, not now. It was disconcerting to be pulled out of the comfort of my customary worldview, but I was glad for it. Glad for the pain. Glad to have my complacency revealed to me. I swore to myself to never forget the lesson. I would never forget how meaningless my own existence was again. After such a realization, I couldn't go back to quietly witnessing the pantheon's profanity, so I left.

My own black chariot had no servant to drive it, for I was accustomed to being self sufficient in such matters. I took a hold of the smooth leather reins and, bracing my feet, sent my dark steeds careening through the air with an expert flick of my wrists. The leather felt natural, comfortable as I directed my horses down the slopes of the mountain. They were a perfect team and seemed to read my mind as we made our way down the treacherously uneven ground. We came to the valley and, just as the chariot was about to crash into the rocky ground, a gaping hole appeared and swallowed everything whole. It snapped shut, sealing off the Underworld with me inside.


	3. Chapter 2: Persephone

I often dreamt of a storm. The dream came infrequently, but persistently, and I had had it for as long as my memory stretched back. What I was doing in the dream, whether it be standing in a field, sitting among the trees, or running by the river, was always different. The only consistencies were the storm and the feeling of anticipation when it came upon me.

It was a strange storm, and I only hesitantly called it as such in my mind. It certainly seemed to be as a common storm in many ways, with howling wind, heavy clouds, and, occasionally, lighting, but it was also different from any that I had seen with my waking eyes. Instead of rain or hail, white tufts fell from the sky and swirled about me. They reminded me of the falling of petals and blossoms from a fruit tree in the Spring. Except these were cold and stung my cheeks as they landed on my face and disappeared at the touch.

I kept these dreams to myself, knowing that my mother either wouldn't understand or wouldn't care. Such dreams were often the harbingers of doom and rarely brought good fortune as a result, but I felt no dread as I would gaze up into the skies, only...waiting. In my dreams I knew, with a certainty that I did not understand when awake, that soon (though I could not say when) the course of my fate would change.

I was sharply reminded of my dream now, as I watched Mount Olympus fade in the night and the black shape standing on its slopes disappear into the gloom. That same of feeling of anticipation came over me, overwhelming and undeniable. Soon my fate, whether or not it was a doom, would fall upon me.

For now, however, I had to deal with the monotony of my life as it was. I sighed a bit when the chariot came into the woods I had grown up with. Not loudly enough for Mother to hear, of course. She was in a foul mood tonight and anything I did would be likely to get me a lecture. So, I was on perfect behavior tonight, not even making a fuss when Mother ordered me off to bed immediately.

I walked into my room and sighed again. Coming home no longer felt like coming home. When I was younger and my mother would take me with her to help the mortals, I would long to return to the familiarity of our villa and of the trees and plants that surrounded it. And when we got back, I would lay in my bed and reveal in the comfort and homelike smell of it. But that was when I was a child.

Now, my room felt lifeless. No friendly feeling greeted me, no relief of cares. Only the insipidness of years uncounted reared its dull head. A dreary greeting.

For many long years now, Mother would leave me at home in the care of servants as she went out. When I questioned her why, she only said,

"The world has become more dangerous, Child."

What dangers it could hold for a grown goddess that it didn't hold for a child was something that I couldn't fathom. Nevertheless, Mother had a will like adamant, not to mention that the servants obeyed her orders over mine, and I was forced to stay home nearly constantly.

I ignored the relentless reminder of the tedium of recent days and stretched out on my bed. I was pleased, for once, with how my day had gone. Lord Hades didn't seem like the sort of man to be impressed by anything, therefore, his praise was much more worth the earning. I hadn't noticed him watching me dance, though I had seen him when I first came into the feast and had known who he was. I was surprised, therefore, when I found myself seated next to him and hearing him speak to me. Sitting by him had been an accident. In my haste to escape the tepid crowd who had so coolly received my heartfelt dancing, I hadn't paid attention enough to my surroundings as I choose the least crowded area.

Lord Hades…. He had been kind. Kinder than I would have expected from one with his reputation. And when he looked at me-I couldn't say. Only, that no person in the world that I had ever talked to had looked at me in such a way. I felt an absurd amount of pleasure mixed with an almost overwhelming sense of confusion when I thought of it, making me at once smile and hide my face into my pillow.

My mind wandered, and I was soon asleep. As I slept, a dream came over me. I sat on a stone throne in a dark room, dressed in black robes and surrounded by a crowd of men, women, and children. They all bowed before me, but that did not hide their trembling limbs nor their fearful glances. I breathed in, and power like I had never felt in my waking life coursed through my flesh, power that could be used to destroy every soul before me.

A voice, deep enough to shake the foundations of the Earth, spoke.

ALL HAIL PERSEPHONE, GREAT AND TERRIBLE QUEEN.

"All hail!" Every person in the room echoed.

"All hail," repeated a voice beside me, softer than all the rest. I turned my head to see who had spoken, but a firm hand turned my chin back to look straight ahead.

"Look, Persephone," the voice said. "Look and see what you truly are."

The crowd had disappeared, and I was suddenly standing before a great kingdom, vast in its wealth, pride, and glory. It rivaled even the power of the Zeus on his throne in Olympus, and it was growing. Even as I looked, buildings sprung up and roads unfurled themselves before my wide eyes. It was magnificent, and it was all mine.

I awoke just as the first light of dawn peeked through the trees, banishing my nighttime vision, and sat up.

I felt different.

Something was different about that dream, different in the same way as my dream of the snow. Power hummed around the memory of it, and I felt the energy it contained within myself. On a whim, I reached over to the potted plant the stood by where I was, one of the many that was in the room, and brushed my fingers over its leaves, stalks, and buds. At my touch, the buds burst into bloom, and new leaves unfurled themselves. I could feel my god-power going into the plant, but it was the same sort of god-power that I had possessed the day before and nothing like what I had felt in my dream.

I sank back into my bed, disappointed and feeling a bit foolish for having believed a dream. The sense of power was fading, but it was still in the back of my mind. I could only assume that it was the sort of power that the High Gods, like my mother and Zeus, had.

As I lay there watching Apollo ride the sun and make its climb up the sky, the other part of my dream came back to me.

Persephone. I whispered the name to myself, testing the feel and sound of it. _Persephone._

The name almost felt familiar to me. It was like hearing a lullaby from infancy again, or seeing a place that you had thought existed only in your mind. Perhaps it was just the name of some obscure goddess that I had heard Mother speaking of before. But, if that was the case, why did I feel so deeply, so primally connected to it?

"Kore!" Mother's voice ripped through my thoughts, and I jumped to my feet. "You're still in bed, child? I told you that we were weaving today; you should have been at the loom by now."

"Yes, Mother," I said contritely, head lowered, hands folded docility in front of me, and no note of discord in my voice. Just as she taught me. I knew what she wanted to hear, and so I played to that. "I was only so overwhelmed last night and so upset, I could hardly sleep. And my dreams-"

"Dreams?" Mother asked sharply. Her green eyes held what I would have in anyone else called alarm.

I flinched at her tone, and it wasn't an act. Past experience with my mother had taught me caution when I heard her speak like this. She caught the wince and, by some miracle, that seemed to soften her.

"Kore, child," she held out a hand to me, which I dutifully took, "of course you would be upset after being in such a horrid place as Olympus. I apologize." She paused.

"That's alright, Mother," I said, as expected.

She led me to the weaving room, and I put the dream out of my mind the best I could. It was time once again to be the dutiful daughter.


	4. Chapter 3: Hades

I descended smoothly down the stony road into my kingdom. I had nearly forgotten how gloomy this place was compared to the dazzle of Olympus.

The stables came suddenly into view from the darkness. I pulled back slowly on the reins, stopped, and left the horses in the care of my silent servants. As I walked to my palace, the whole place seemed unusually quiet after the buzz of conversation, the music, and the endless cacophony of Olympus. I loved it. In some ways, I was almost grateful to Zeus for his deception that had thrust on me this dark kingdom, but still I often wondered how it all would have turned out if things had been different. Maybe… No. It was no use going down that path. I was irritated enough as it was.

I came to the largest building in the Underworld, my palace. It stood on a cliff, overlooking a dim expanse. Down below, rock formations spiked the ceiling and ground, which gave the impression of a many-toothed animal. They were lighted by tiny pinpricks of light from distant torches and that light was reflected and scattered by millions of gems that were imbedded within the bitter stone. It twinkled like stars in the night sky, though perhaps not quite as brilliantly. It was because of these gems-diamonds, rubies, emeralds, anything you could think of, really-and the easily found gold and silver that I was also called the god of wealth. I didn't care what price others put on these jewels, because I valued them for other reasons. The bit of beauty they brought to my world was priceless to me. All of this created a world so vast that one could almost forget it was under the ground.

My palace was made of enormous stone blocks, with columns surrounding it in the fashion of the temples that mortals built for the other gods. When I had first come, it had been a plain, unadorned building. A boring place, really. Over the years I had commissioned deceased stone workers and artists to add detail. They worked well and the labor was cheap. (And by cheap, I mean that I just had to promise to reconsider their sentences that separated them into three different levels.) I found a humorous sense of irony in the fact that many of the workers had built temples for other gods and goddesses and had spent so much time pandering to them, and now the god they had hated the most was who they discovered was the only one that had truly mattered in the long run. Now, the whole building was covered in intricate designs, some beautiful, others horrifying.

I suppose that being around the dead so long had given me a morbid sense of beauty, because I loved the most hideous figures best. One, in particular was my favorite. A terrifying monster with huge, bat-like wings knelt and lifted one hand up towards the Heavens. His wrist had broken bonds hanging from it. His other hand supported him and his head was raised, pleading. Behind him, a monster more cruel and twisted than he beat him with flaming whips. The soul of the man who carved this figure had been sent from Punishment, the blistering pit that murderers and traitors were consigned to, to Elysium, the grand halls that were generally reserved for heroes and the favored of the gods, as a reward for his work.

I gazed at it now, running my fingers over the image. I wondered, as I often did, who the monster was? What was his history and what was it that had led to his torture? The stone carver hadn't told me when I asked. All he said was, "There are the monsters inside, and the ones outside. I showed both." I came out of my introspection with a slight sigh and went to the door.

I pulled the giant double doors open with ease and strode through the entryway of my fortress. It was well-lit compared to the rest of the Underworld, though not to Olympus. Too many lights meant very little shadows, and without shadow, there was no place to hide. Another reason why the brightly lit Olympus made me uncomfortable. I walked to one of the many alcoves on the side of the building and, hidden in shadow, I opened a secret panel hidden in the wall, and went down the long, winding stone hallway that it had covered. My black leather shoes made the only sound as I went. Flickering torches of blue flame kept the corridor in a constant state of twilight. Down I went, farther and farther beneath the ground. I knew that there were many things that I was supposed to do, but I could feel tension building in my chest. I had to get away from everything, to clear my head. Exerting myself socially was always exhausting to me, and there was nothing I wanted more than a few stolen moments of solitude.

I was going to a room that I kept from everyone else, including servants. Within was the hearth that Hestia had been referring to, and the reason that I chose this particular room to be in. Hestia was a wise woman and her advice was always worth following. If she thought I needed to be near my hearth (which had been blessed by her personally,) then I should be.

Finally, I found myself in front of a plain, unadorned door with no handle. I placed my hand over the center and murmured the Word of Opening. The door opened with a creak and I entered a small, comfortable room. The hearth was burning with a low fire that cast the room in a warm, red light, a sleek lion pelt covered the floor, and a sunken, worn, black leather armchair faced the fireplace. Other than that, the room was bare. However, the shadowy light revealed murals on the walls and ceiling- each one a scene of the world above. The once bright colors had faded over the centuries, and the cracking paint distorted the images, giving the murals a disturbing, abandoned look. I had created this room when I first arrived in the Underworld, and it had remained like that from that time on. Perhaps it needed some touch ups to the art, but I could never bring myself to change a single thing.

I lowered myself into the armchair and exhaled slowly through my teeth, releasing the tension in my shoulders. As I was about to close my eyes, the fire flickered, catching my attention. Though nervous about what I would see, I nevertheless gazed into it and watched as the flames formed themselves into images: a battle being fought between two mighty armies-harder and harder they fought, louder and louder their clanging swords rang, brighter and brighter the flames grew. All at once, a flaming eagle swooped down and crushed its enemies between its claws. The Earth was split between the victors. A deal was struck, then a betrayal committed, and suddenly, darkness.

I knew what the images were and the story they told all too well. Why had the fire decided to show me images from my own past? I wanted to forget those days more than anything else, but nothing, not even my own hearth it seemed, would let me.

Gradually, the fire came back to life. It took on the form of a dancing woman with the black coals as its eyes. The fire wraith laughed as it danced, mocking me with its freedom. I relaxed deep into my chair, laid my head back, and closed my eyes, the laughter ringing through my whole body.

"Kore…."

I sat like this unmoving for what seemed like an hour, but the passage of time was almost imperceptible in the bleak room. Thoughts swirled around my head and I flowed in and out between consciousness and unconsciousness, until the two melded into a constant state of waking dreams, with that dancing figure playing the prominent character in them.

Eventually, I had to get up. My muscles were stiff from lack of use. I stretched the knots out of them and left to do my daily duties.

I wasn't exactly sure what clarity or insight I was supposed to have gained from the wraiths shown to me, but I still trusted in Hestia's prediction. Sooner or later, they would make sense to me, so I put them, not quite out of my mind, but within easy reach of my thoughts.

I went back up the passageway to my throne room to pass judgement on the newly arrived dead souls. I groaned as I noticed a long line of them, nearly ten times longer than usual. I must have been gone for longer than I realized. I sat on the hard throne at the head of the room and motioned the first soul forward.

It was a young woman with mournful eyes and a bleeding serpent's bite on her arm, probably what had killed her. She ducked her head down and her long hair fell in front of her face in cascading waves. Its ethereal movement reminded me... _Stop it,_ I told myself sharply.

A servant began reading from the Scroll of Life the deeds of the woman during life in a dry voice.

"Name: Eurydice, nymph of the Oak Woods. Wife of Orpheus and daughter of..."

My attention strayed, and I found myself thinking about _her._ I started from my thoughts when I noticed that the room was silent and everyone was staring at me.

"I apologize," I said as graciously as I could. "I have many pressing matters on my mind. Please start over from the beginning," I addressed the last sentence to the servant.

The servant did so, and was halfway through when I realized that I hadn't heard a word.

"Stop!" I commanded. The servant looked up in surprise. "Send the young woman to Elysium." The servant looked startled. I hesitated. Had the young woman done anything awful in her life that I hadn't caught? I was usually harsh in my judgements, but at that moment I couldn't bear the thought of sending her to any place worse, not with the fire wraith still in my mind's eye. Once again that laughter echoed through my head.

I stood up abruptly and made to leave the room.

"And the rest, my Lord?" Called the servant after me.

I gave the room a considering look. The spirits were still, silent. None of them had the energy or light that Kore did, none of them could possibly understand the elation that came of love, and they would all be wasted on Elysium.

"Asphodel Meadows," I said. The dullness of such a fate was suiting for such a dispassionate group. With that, I left.

My thoughts consumed me again as I passed through the door into the dark hallway. After wandering around for awhile, I came back to myself and decided to do something else to occupy me, otherwise I might go mad. I quickly got changed into a black leather jacket, a sleeveless dark gray shirt, black pants, and battered boots-my working clothes-and went outdoors. I whistled a piercing note into the silent air to summon my horse. The beast came, and I swung up into his saddle easily. But what should I do now? There was always so much to do in a place like this, but nothing seemed interesting enough. My horse paced back and forth a few times before I decided I would inspect my kingdom to make sure that it was still running smoothly.

I called my skeletal army together first and rode through their silent ranks. Empty eye sockets stared back dully at me and leering, grinning mouths didn't make a sound. _Why does everything have to be so blasted quiet around here all the time_? I wondered. _This place needs something to cheer it up. Some_ one _, perhaps_... I refused to let the thought go any further and forced myself to pay attention to what was at hand.

I ordered the army to march around in formation for a while. Unbidden, the memory of _her_ dancing, the steady rise and fall of her feet, came to my mind through the clanging and stomping of their heavy steps and the swaying of her hips contrasted sharply with their rigid forms.

This wasn't working.

I circled my horse around and rode away without another word.

 _What I need,_ I decided, _is sleep._ So, I retired to my bedchamber. Not even bothering to remove my boots, I threw myself on the smooth covers and closed my eyes. That was a mistake. Those flashing black eyes, and shining, flowing hair were there, burned into my memory.

I opened my eyes with an exasperated sigh and ran my hands through my hair. I knew how to ignore what I wanted. After all, I had lived thousands of years trapped underground, away from the clear skies and sunshine I had once loved. Why could I not ignore the feeling growing within me, almost to an obsession, pushing me towards the brink of insanity? After all this time in the underworld with only the dead for company, somehow it was this one quiet girl who was finally driving me mad.

I sat up on the edge of the bed. I had to see her again, see if she felt this same...pull...that I did. But how? Demeter obviously disapproved of my talking to her daughter at the feast and, knowing my sister, she wasn't going to leave her only child unattended long enough for me to talk to her. I dragged my hand over my face in frustration. _Think, Hades, think._

In the end, I could only think of one thing to do: consult the Fates. Even the thought of it made me shudder. They knew everything about everyone: dark secrets, bitter struggles, forgotten pasts, and how everything would turn out. This made them powerful and extremely uncomfortable to speak to. But I was starting to realize that I would face much worse than the Fates just to speak to Kore again, so I screwed my courage and went to visit them.


	5. Chapter 4: Persephone

**Thank you to madame thome for the reviews and encouragement! I'll be getting new chapters up shortly :)**

I had often pondered the question of love in my relatively short life. And not the love of a mother and child, but that between a man and a woman. I had vague ideas of what it was and even vaguer ideas about what men in general were like. There was no male figure in my life, at least not a constant one. Oh, I suppose that Zeus, my father, showed up once in awhile, but not for long and never really showed me particular attention. From him, I got the impression that men were jovial and always putting on a show for others, and for a time, I thought that all men were like that and that all women were either imposing like my mother, or cringing cowards like our servants. I found none of these attributes in myself, however, as I grew, and I slowly came to the conclusion that many types of women existed, and if women, then men as well.

Even after I had even arrived at this thought though, I had yet to realize that there was something special in a relationship between a man and a woman. Mother certainly showed no more affection for Zeus than she did for anyone else. No, it was from the servants' giggling gossip when my mother wasn't around that I learned of romance, and once I did, I naturally wondered when I would find it for myself.

I never considered myself a very silly girl. I was fairly practical and had a good head on my shoulders during the-limited-problems I encountered in my sheltered life. When I was pulled out of that life for a day and finally met someone who was outside the realm of my mother's influence, perhaps it was natural that I, practical as I supposedly was, was immediately drawn and attracted to something so different from what I usually encountered.

Two days after Zeus' feast, I sat with my old nurse, Cyrus, in Mother's forest, weaving baskets. I wasn't able to concentrate very well on the task at hand, because my short conversation with Hades was still running through my mind. I had never before felt that strange sense of connection that had enveloped me as I talked to him. A blush came to my cheeks as I remembered the way he looked at me and I bent lower over my basket to hide my pink face from Cyrus's sharp eye.

The more I reflected on my brief time with Hades, the more curious I became about the Underworld and, though I tried not to admit it to myself, Hades. There was no one I could ask about him, though. Mother was...well, after the way she had reacted after just seeing me speak to him for a few moments, I didn't dare ask her. I looked over at Cyrus, who was just finishing one up a basket. If anyone knew the answer to my questions it would be her, so I asked.

"Ah, young mistress," she nervously looked around, "Lady Demeter has forbidden us to speak of the Underworld to you."

"Oh, just tell me a little," I pleaded with her. "I won't ask any more if you just tell me a few of the legends."

She never could refuse me anything, so she began to tell me of what she knew: Hades' departure to the Underworld, the fact that no one was allowed to leave, the terrible punishments that Hades gave people who disobeyed him.

"...and the Furies are worst of all. They would have no sympathy for you, if ever you were to fall into their clutches. I've heard they torture their victims until Death takes them, with Hades watching the entire time, ready to add their souls to his collection."

I listened to it all with rapt attention, shuddering at the rumors that were associated with Hades' cruelty. I then noticed the shadow that fell over us and looked up to see Mother seething. The goddess Hekate was at her usual place standing behind Mother.

"Cyrus, I recall telling you that such stories are forbidden to repeat to my daughter," she said icily. My nurse's face went white.

"Mother," I said, standing cautiously, "Please don't be angry with Cyrus. I told her that you had allowed me to ask her." I hoped that the lie would spare Cyrus from a beating she didn't deserve.

"She should have known better," Mother said curtly. Cyrus cringed, waiting for the blow. "However, I shall be merciful this once. You are dismissed, Cyrus."

My nurse scurried off and Mother started to walk away and Hecate followed. "Wait, Mother," I called. She slowed slightly and I took that as a sign to proceed. I ran to her side and walked alongside her. "Why can't I know about the Underworld? I was just curious."

She didn't answer me. "I forbid you from talking about it ever again. And if you ever see Hades, you are not to talk to him. Do you understand?"

"No, I don't understand, Mother!" I finally had enough. She spent so much time telling me what to do and never any time listening to what I wanted. "I am not a child anymore. I am old enough to have my own life to have my own home. Surely I am old enough to make my own choices as well? And you still refuse to even acknowledge it!"

Mother didn't react to my outburst. "It's getting dark out, Child. It's time for you to go back to the Villa and get some sleep."

"I don't want to sleep, Mother. I _like_ the night. I've told you so over and over again, but you never allow me outside in it. Why is that?"

"You see that you are indeed still a child. You ask for things and make demands without considering what actually is right for you."

"You always avoid me when I mention things like loving the dark. It's a part of me that I can't deny any longer. Why do you always insist on me burying it?" I recoiled slightly at the whine that had crept into my voice. It didn't matter what more I said; my own voice had proved Mother's point for her.

"Kore," she sharply, "That's enough. I don't want to discuss that with you right now. Young women shouldn't be running around after nightfall. It isn't proper. You will go to the Villa and go to sleep." She took me by the arm and steered me away.

"No!" I jerked out of her grip. I was too furious to care if I seemed like a child. "This is getting ridiculous. You won't let me see anyone, or even talk to anyone. I enjoyed talking to Hades. He, at least, listened to me."

My cheek stung as Mother hit it with a resounding _slap!_ "You will not raise your voice to me, young lady. We are done. Hekate, make sure she returns to the Villa." She walked away.

"Why does she never understand me?" I whispered, staring at the trees into which my mother had disappeared. Even as a child, I had noticed that she felt uncomfortable whenever I acted in a way she didn't like. There were things that I always wanted, feelings inside of me that Mother never understood. In that moment, I realized that there was nothing I wanted more than to become my own person, away from the suffocating influence of my mother.

"Your mother loves you, Kore," Hekate answered my question, "in her own way. It's difficult to know how to show love to someone, when you've never had love shown to you."

"Then why avoid me the way she does? You saw her. She couldn't wait to get away from me."

"Neither would I, if you argued constantly with me the way you do with her," she snorted. "When you're not around, she misses you."

It was my turn to snort. "I doubt it."

Hekate rolled her eyes at me, the type of disrespect that no one beside her would ever dare to show me. However, as the goddess of witchcraft, she had little to fear from either me or my mother and served my mother as a friend, rather than as a servant. "I'll prove it."

She walked over to a small pool of water and waved her hand over it. "Come," she beckoned me. I came and looked into the pool, which now showed my mother. She was speaking to someone.

"I can't hear," I complained.

Hekate shot me an annoyed look, but passed her hand over the pool again, this time murmuring a few words under her breath.

"...time she settle down. Apollo, I trust that you can keep her safe?" Mother was saying to the golden god, Apollo.

"I see all from the sky, so even if something happened to her while I was gone, I could still keep an eye on her." Apollo's voice had a lilting, melodic quality to it. A pleasant voice, but not one that distracted me from what was being said. I stared wide eyed in horror as my fate was sealed before my eyes.

"Good," nodded Mother. "You can marry my daughter in a week-"

"That's enough, Hekate," I commanded tightly. I didn't want to hear anything more. How could Mother do this to me without even asking? "See, she doesn't love me. She wants me in a cage."

"Kore, child, you know that's not true. She cares for your safety."

"Those aren't the same thing!" Furious, traitorous tears were beginning to spill down my face. "She wants me to be locked away forever, whether it's under her thumb or someone else's. I just-I want to be free!"

Hekate reached out to me, perhaps to comfort me, but I knocked her hand aside. I couldn't stand this. I couldn't be locked up for another night, so I ran. I could hear Hekate calling after me, but I just ran all the harder.

I burst into a glade, sobbing. I tripped and fell to the ground and was too emotionally exhausted to get up.


	6. Chapter 5: Hades

I fidgeted nervously by the place the Fates had described to me, running my fingers through my hair, or playing with the cuffs of my jacket. They claimed that this was where Kore would be alone next. It had taken quite a long time just to get that much information out of them. They had kept getting distracted by the strings that surrounded them, stopping mid-sentence to cut one string or weave another two together. I already knew that each string was someone's life, but every time I saw the way the Fates so easily manipulate things, it would hit me again that so many things in life weren't chance; they were planned. It made me wonder if they also control the gods' fates, but I never asked. Better not to know. When I had asked them about Kore, the Fates had fought quite a bit over which of them could speak and what that person could say, but eventually, I was able to get what I needed and leave.

And so here I was now in a clearing, concealing myself among the trees that fringed the corners the best I could. I tugged at my cuff again. The action made me realize that I was still wearing my scruffy clothing from earlier. Cursing myself, I wondered if I had time to change into something cleaner. No. If I wanted to see Kore at all, it would have to be while looking like this. Which reminded me, where was she? I glanced at the dying sun and wondered if maybe I misunderstood the Fates' instructions. No, wait. I could hear something approaching.

I buried myself deeper within the shadows as Kore ran into the clearing. A tree root jutted out from the ground in front of her. She didn't see it, I supposed, and fell to the ground. She stayed there, with her gold hair shining in the last rays of the day. It was then I noticed the shaky rising and falling of her back, and I realized that she was crying. As a general rule, tears made me uncomfortable and I avoided them-but I felt an overwhelming urge to help her. I stepped out of the trees and stopped in front of her.

A few seconds passed by. She slowly quieted to fewer and fewer sobs, but stayed with her head pressed against the ground. Again, obeying that irresistible impulse, I crouched beside her and tentatively touched her shoulder.

"Why are you crying?" I asked

She jumped about a mile at the unexpected contact and hastily sat up.

"Hades!" She said somewhat breathlessly. "What are you doing here?"

"I was walking nearby and I heard you crying," I responded, the half lie coming easily. Kore nodded as though it were the most natural thing in the world to find the god of the Underworld taking a walk in the woods. Perhaps, to her, it was. "Is everything alright?"

Kore's lips quivered and she raised her hand to her mouth to hide it. She was one of those women who cried beautifully, I noticed. Her face was white as ivory instead of blotchy red, and her sobs were like the sighs of the river. Her nose didn't even run. No mortal woman could have pulled it off.

I sat on the ground across from her and waited until she composed herself enough to speak.

"It's nothing. I'm just...I just feel cooped up, like a prisoner. Sometimes I want to get away from my life and be someone else. I mean, be myself but be a different me." She stopped. "I'm sorry, I'm rambling. I suppose it doesn't make any sense." She wiped her tears away on the corner of her chiton and stood up.

"It does," I said softly. I stood and took her hand, startling her and bewildering myself. She looked down and, after a moment, caressed my hand with her thumb. The contact left me slightly stunned, I hardly even noticed when she pulled away. It must have been the first time I had willingly touched another person in two thousand years.

When I came to myself a bit more, I took a step away and asked, "Where would you go, if you could?"

Kore sat down on a short stump and pulled her knees close to her chest. The pose made her look even more vulnerable than before. "I'm not sure. Maybe another land, one far away from here." She looked up at the darkening sky and continued slowly in a wistful voice. "I love the trees and sun and flowers, but I feel like there's a whole world I don't know. What's the world like at night, I wonder? This is the darkest I've ever seen it. Even when I sleep, Mother makes sure I have lamps lighting up my room. She would have me live forever in a world of sun if she could. That's why she-" she stopped abruptly. "That's why she keeps such tight control of my environment." I was sure that wasn't what she was going to say, but I didn't press it.

I stared at her upturned face and felt a rush of sympathy. Yes, I sometimes wished more than anything to be able to walk freely in these woods, but after hearing the tone of her voice, I was no longer sure I would completely give up the gentle beauty of shadows for the more garish brilliance of light.

"At night, the world is transformed. You feel more alive, in a way, when you can hardly see," I spoke almost at a whisper. "Things like hearing and touch become more keen-deeper. You feel alone, but not lonely, because your thoughts are louder than they ever were before." As I spoke, Kore shifted her gaze from the gently emerging stars to me.

I felt, in that moment, a terrible void in my heart, one I had felt before, but never so sharp and acute as it now was. I had a sudden image of me taking Kore in my arms and simply holding her tight to my chest. Something told me that she could lessen the ache that was there.

"It sounds wonderful," Kore smiled.

I reached out and tentatively brushed my fingers on her cheeks. "Kore, I-"

She flinched.

"I'm sorry," I said confusedly, quickly moving my hand away. "I should not have taken such liberties."

"No, it's just-that name." She looked down at her feet and bit her lip. "I don't like it."

My embarrassment eased, and I took her hand, this time with more confidence. She let me.

"What name do you like, then?"

She continued to look down, and her hair slid over her face so that I could no longer see her expression.

"I like...I like the name Persephone."

Persephone. I was taken aback. Where did she hear a name like that? Bringer of death. It was a suitable name for one with eyes of death, but she was the goddess of Spring, a bringer of life. Perhaps she didn't know the dark meaning of the name, but perhaps she did. Either way, I liked it better than the simple name of Kore, myself.

"Alright, then. Persephone."

As the name fell from my lips, Persephone suddenly looked up and gasped slightly.

"Y-your voice," she stammered. "I heard it once in a dream."

"You dreamed of me?"

"No. Well, I suppose. I dreamed of a dark kingdom and a voice telling me I belonged there."

"My voice?"

Persephone acted as though she hadn't heard me. "I should go," she said hurriedly, pulling her hand out of mine, "or Mother will send someone to look for me."

She took one timid step towards me. "But-thank you, Hades," Persephone smiled and then fled into the moonless night.


	7. Chapter 6: Persephone

I couldn't stop smiling the entire walk to the Villa. That one conversation with Hades had changed my entire mood. Mother wasn't there, so nothing could ruin that mood, not even an overly anxious Cyrus asking me about where I had been or an unusually stern Hekate scolding me for running away from her.

"Luckily for you, I won't tell your mother," she said.

Cyrus helped me undress and locked me, as she did every night, in my room ablaze with light. I lay down, but didn't want to sleep. The light seemed too bright and I wished again for the dark.

A song came to my mind and I began to hum softly. I got out of bed and almost of their own accord, my feet moved me from side to side with the beat. The song, whatever it was, was slow and deep, but happy. I didn't know where, or even if, I had heard it before. It came so easily to me that it seemed as if I had always know it.

Music, to me, as natural as speech; I couldn't imagine life without it. Mother had insisted I learn to play a few instruments, of course, but what really held my heart was dancing. It sometimes was the only way to release my passion. Mother didn't believe in displays of emotion, unless it could somehow be used to her advantage. Dancing was my only appropriate way (in her eyes) to surrender to my feelings. I wondered at times if that was because she had no idea how much it was truly an extension of myself.

So, I danced now. No thought was given to how to move, I just did. As I stepped, flowers blossomed around me, surrounding me with their sweet scent. They grew from the plants that that were on every available surface in my room and my song and power cause them to burst into bloom. My song grew in strength and in volume until I was singing with my full voice. Only when Cyrus pounded on my door and told me I'd better quiet down, or else she would tell my mother, did I lay down to sleep.

Reality set in as I looked up at the trees and deer painted on my ceiling. Mother hated Hades, for whatever reason, and would be furious if she found out I talked to him a second time. No, not if. Because she _would_ find out, especially if I were to see him again. And I wanted to. I couldn't though. If I did, I would be betraying Mother and everything she had ever done for me. Despite what I had said earlier to Hekate in a moment of anger, I knew that Mother, however much we argued, wanted to do what was right for me. To her, for whatever reason, having me constantly surrounded by light was important. I didn't doubt that was why she had chosen Apollo for my husband. If I were his bride, my life would be filled with the sun, night and day.

It would make Mother at peace, if nothing else.

 _So what?_ Part of my mind demanded. _Are you going to take orders from her forever? Sooner or later, you'll have to be your own person. And Apollo isn't the type of god who would have your self expression as one of his priorities._

 _But at least you'd know what to expect from him and you know his intentions are honorable,_ another part argued back. _Zeus only knows why Hades is interested in you. Remember what Cyrus said? He could be luring you to be tortured by the Furies._

The thought was ridiculous, I realized. Hades would have to be completely deranged to be planning that. Mostly likely, Hades was lonely, or (even more likely) bored. Flittering with girls was a pastime many gods seemed to favor. And yet, Hades didn't strike me as the type to toy with other people's emotions, but then again, how well did I really know him? It could all just be an act and Mother was just trying to save me from a man who would hurt me the same way that one hurt her.

And what did my dream from the other night mean? I was now sure that it was Hades' voice that I had heard.

Hades was a king. An unmarried king. A king without a queen. I shuddered at the thought. Yes, the idea of darkness fascinated me, but to spend the rest of my life trapped below ground, with nothing but the dead to keep me company? It was more than I wanted.

But I did want to see him again.

Confused as I was, I was not able to sleep for hours. It wasn't just all the thoughts running through my head, though, that prevented me from sleeping; it was also the lights. I had never been as bothered by the lantern Mother insisted be lit at all times as I was now, and I longed for the true darkness of night more than ever before.


	8. Chapter 7: Hades

My head was still swimming when I arrived back at my palace hours later. I had taken so long getting back because my mind was so full of those few moments I had had with Persephone. It was like being drunk, except every sense was heightened and I could remember with perfect clarity every look, word, and movement. I had to see her again. No, I had to see her every day, but how would that even be possible? Demeter hated me for some reason and seemed to be with Persephone every single moment.

A mad idea gripped me, one I probably never would have considered in my right mind, let alone acted on, but I wasn't in my right mind.

What I'd seen in the hearth, I realized, was a way forward. I had been wronged all those years before, and Persephone would be my consolation, the means by which those wrongs would be righted.

I am not prone to make impulsive choices, I never was. Life as an immortal is slow, and when a decision needs to be made, I have all the time in the world to make up my mind. The dead, especially, are in no hurry. I was somewhat stunned, therefore, when I found myself walking swiftly to the stables, the plan fully forming in my head.

I barked the order to the servants for my horses to be harnessed. The leisurely movements of the undead seemed particularly slow today. Giving into my urgency and passion, I raised the whip I kept at my side and let them feel the pain of my anger.

"Faster," I snarled and they, with their heads bowed down further, complied.

I called another servant towards me as I waited and ordered her to start preparing a set of rooms near my own for a new occupant.

When my horses were finally ready, I took off for Mount Olympus. The looming mountain looked unusually clear in the light of the newly rising sun, an indication that Zeus was in a good mood today. Excellent. That would work to my advantage. My face made an expression that came as close to smiling as it ever did.

Without a thought, I abandoned my chariot on the steps leading up to the massive temple perched on the summit of the mountain and strode up, taking three stairs at a time.

A condescending manservant intercepted me at the door.

"Yes?" he asked, looking down his nose at me. His expression was one that I might have made if there was a bad taste in my mouth.

"I want to see Zeus," I said impatiently.

"Is he expecting you?" The man asked in a high, stiff voice that was really starting to grate on my nerves. That was another reason I hated Olympus: stupid servants.

"No. And I don't care if he's busy," I continued, effectively cutting off the next protest that the pompous manservant might make. "Tell Zeus I'm here and I'm not going to wait for a better time."

The manservant sniffed disapprovingly, but made no further comment. As despicable as he evidently found me, he could not ignore a direct command from a god as powerful as myself. He led me inside to a formal antechamber and left to tell Zeus about his unexpected guest.

I was kept waiting on my brother for several minutes. I paced around the room, trying to work off my bottled up anticipation. Finally, I was allowed into Zeus' great throne room. Instantly, I assumed a nonchalant attitude, ignoring another haughty sniff from the servant. My face became a stiff mask of civility. It had become a habit for me, with many thousands of years of practice. To show emotion around this place was to show a weakness, and weaknesses could easily be exploited.

"Brother!" Boomed Zeus as I approached him. "This _is_ a surprise. Did things get too slow for you down under? You must be _dying_ for a break."

Zeus laughed heartily at his own joke; his chortle echoed through the large chamber. He sat in his enormous throne, without his crown, but still looking every inch a king. That was the thing about Zeus: people assumed that he was a good king just by looking at him. It didn't matter to most whether he was or not. He had changed much since that day so long ago, as had I. He now had the look of a man in his prime and was about my same height. If we had been mortals, he could have been mistaken for my older brother, instead of the other way around, if it weren't for the heaviness in my eyes.

"Yes, Zeus. Very funny," I replied tersely. I was thoroughly tired jokes about the Underworld and death. Zeus, however, seemed to think that it was the last word in humor. And whatever brainless thing Zeus thought, everyone else thought as well.

"Alright Hades, what's the problem? You look deathly pale," said Zeus, whose own face was red and bright, almost jovial.

I glared at my younger brother, completely unamused. "It's time to repay a favor you owe me."

"And what favor am I returning?" asked Zeus, finally calming down, though a twinkle still remained in his eye.

"I once hid one of your...women...from Hera. If I remember correctly, you promised me anything in return for my service."

I had a talent for hiding things where they couldn't be found. The Underworld was a twisted place, full of secrets and secret places. Even I didn't know about them all.

"Ah, yes," Zeus said. A smile played on the corners of his mouth at some perverted memory. I fought down my disgust. "And what is it that you want in return?" he asked.

I took a moment to answer. I brushed an imaginary piece of lint off of my jacket sleeve and straightened my already faultless collar to add to my air of nonchalance, forcing Zeus to wait on my whims for once. Then, as unconcerned as if I were ordering dinner, I raised my black, fathomless eyes to Zeus' shallow blue ones, and said,

"I want Demeter's daughter."

I had the pleasure of watching the color drain out of Zeus' face.

"No, Hades," he muttered. "Anything, but that. No." He clutched the arms of his throne, his knuckles pale as death.

His denial didn't faze me. I continued on calmly, assured that I would get what I wanted. "Zeus, you gave me your word. You are bound unless I say otherwise, and I don't say otherwise."

"I have already promised her to someone else, someone with her mother's approval."

My masked cracked a fraction, showing some of my shock. "To who?"

"Apollo. Demeter has already spoken to him and they will be married in a few days."

I considered the problem for a moment, and I could remember how Persephone had spoken about her mother wanting her to live in a world of sun. No doubt this is what she had been referring to. She didn't seem to happy which had meant… _which means that she doesn't want to marry him_. I knew what I had to do.

"You made your promise to me first, so you will keep it." I looked stonily into the King's eyes and said, threateningly, "Trust me, you don't want to break another promise to me.

I held Zeus' gaze steadily for an eternal moment. A silent battle of wills raged in that stare, the first one to break contact would lose. Finally, Zeus' eyes went down and he heaved a great sigh.

"You win, Hades. Demeter may have my liver for this, but you win."

I felt my rapid heartbeat slow. If Zeus agreed to this, nothing stood in my way. I flashed a brilliant smile. It had been so long, I had almost forgotten how. As a result, the smile came out almost savage, like a wolf baring its teeth at its prey. Zeus flinched at the sight.

"Cheer up, Zeus. You're immortal. Your liver will grow back."

Zeus grunted, unamused at the allusion.

"What exactly do you want me to do, Hades?" Zeus asked wearily, rubbing his hand across his face.

"I will do most of the work. All you need to do is to be ready to perform the marriage."

"Wha-? Marriage? You plan to _marry_ this girl?"

"Of course." The chill in my voice was almost visible. Zeus always made the mistake of thinking that everyone thought like him. "This is not one of your short term flings. I'm not like you."

Zeus ignored the jab. "Do you know what you are getting into? Do you have any idea what Demeter will do if she finds out I allowed her daughter to be abducted and forced into marriage?"

"That's not my problem," I snapped, my air of unconcern finally shattering. "I don't have to worry about anything that happens above ground, thanks to you. The only upside of that whole rotting deal is that none of you hypocrites can ever come near me in the Underworld."

I stood, breathing heavily, glaring at Zeus. I took a deep breath to calm myself and said in a controlled voice, "Are you going to help me or not?"

Zeus raised himself from his throne and walked past me to the door. I stayed where I was, cursing myself. I should have known that Zeus would betray his promise. I should have expected nothing else. When Zeus reached the giant double doors, he turned.

"Well?" He asked in a dead voice. "Aren't you coming?"

I looked back at him, gauging his sincerity. Did he mean it? If I wanted this, I had little choice but to follow him, so I did without a word.

I placed a gorgeous white narcissus, grown in the Underworld to give it specific powers, tenderly in the ground. I was careful not to inhale its scent as I packed the earth around it. Once finished with my task, I hurried to where Zeus was concealed behind a copse of trees to wait for Persephone to come. I had this all planned out. This was the same place I had met Persephone just hours earlier. If I was right and our meeting was as much on her mind as it was on mine, she was sure to come back at some point. If she didn't come, I decided, then I would give the whole thing up.

Persephone came into the clearing humming. There was a slight spring to her step, as though she were about to dance at any moment. The sight of her strengthened my resolve, which had been slowly weakening since the moment I convinced Zeus to do this.

Persephone let out a sudden laugh and flung her arms out wide, as though to embrace the whole world. She began to spin in a giddy circle, head tilted towards the sky and her feet moving to music only she could hear. I was entranced watching her grace and beauty again.

Persephone's eyes fell upon the flower mid-spin and the magic of the blossom began its work. She was instantly captivated by it and her eyes shone with the greed that possessed all those who looked on it. Strangely enough, I was the only being who was able to resist the magic of the flower, that I knew of. I could tell that even Zeus was having a difficult time resisting its pull.

Persephone reached down and plucked the delicate narcissus. She raised it to her nose and inhaled deeply. The flower tumbled out of her hand as she hit the ground in a faint.

I cautiously made my way towards her unconscious body. She lay as if she were dead, but that was what the scent of the narcissus did. She would reawaken in three hours time. I reached down and picked her up, then carried her in my arms to Zeus, careful to crush the flower under my foot as I went. The power was severed once the narcissus was damaged. It would be best not to leave a huge heap of sleeping bodies lying about.

"Do it now," I commanded Zeus.

Zeus performed the marriage ceremony quickly, as if he could not wait to distance himself from the deed. That didn't bother me. I, too, wanted this done so I could leave. Once the short ceremony was over, I carried my new bride to my chariot.

I set her carefully on her feet and held her close to me with one hand against the small of her back and caught the reins with the other. I whipped the horses into motion and sped off as fast as I could. It would be disaster for anyone, especially Demeter, to catch me at this point.

All was quiet in the world above as I made my flight, but I breathed easier when the chariot wheels touched the Underworld's ground. I was safe. I swept her up in my arms again and headed through the eerily quiet rocks and caves, straight to my palace and to an elaborately decorated set of rooms.

I laid my new Queen gently on a four poster bed and stretched out next to her. I couldn't tear my eyes off of her. She was the most beautiful goddess that had ever walked the Earth. I reached out and gently stroked her face.

Her hair was smooth, waving curls that framed her perfect face. Her skin was golden brown with a hint of rose on the high cheekbones, dark sweeping lashes fringed the edge of her eyelids, and her pink bow-shaped lips pulled in a slight smile. Even Aphrodite couldn't boast of such tranquil beauty as this girl had, to me at least. And now she was mine. Triumph rose up inside of my chest.

As Persephone slept, I allowed myself to dream of what the future would be like. Persephone would be afraid at first, it was only to be expected, but she would soon see how much I loved her and would love me back. Eventually. I could see it now. She would be my redemption.

I put an arm around her waist, pulling her body close to mine, and drifted off thinking about this pleasant vision, a smile on my face. It was a real smile, the first real smile that had been on my face since… well, for a long time.


	9. Chapter 8: Persephone

I became aware of my surroundings bit by bit. There was something soft under my cheek and I nuzzled against it. _Satin._ I woke up a bit more and realized that something was wrong. I couldn't remember falling asleep on anything satin. In fact, I couldn't remember falling asleep. My half conscious mind struggled to wake up. I became increasingly frustrated and confused as my efforts to wake up entirely were proving futile. I felt as if I were drowning, and I couldn't even lift my arms to save myself.

Eventually, I was able to wrench myself out of my suffocating slumber. I was in an unfamiliar room, though I wasn't very surprised. My subconscious had known that something was wrong for some time. I stared at the room with wide eyes. In the dim lighting, all I could make out the was dark grey stone walls that, strangely enough, glistened. Tapestries hung around the room, some depicting scenes that made me shudder. Where in Zeus' Name was I?

In a daze, I noticed a carved ebony vanity with crystal vials and a silver mirror, comb, and brush. A jewelry box sat on the vanity. It was brimming to the top with gold and silver necklaces, rings, bracelets, and earrings. All were embellished by large diamonds, pearls, rubies, emeralds, and all the other precious stones imaginable. A wardrobe that matched the vanity stood in the corner. It was opened and dresses spilled out. They all looked about my size and were all rich shades of the colors that looked best on me. I noticed these details despite my panic and fear gripped my heart.

Someone had planned for me.

The fear woke me up completely and I felt, for the first time, the weight around my middle. I could hear soft snoring behind me, almost in my ear, making a part of me wonder why I hadn't noticed it before. The rest of me was was focused on the arm and who might be attached to it. Slowly, I lifted it off of me and shifted my body so that I now faced the stranger (I also sat up so that our bodies weren't pressed against each other any more.) There, in the bed with me, slept an unfamiliar man. Panic began to well up inside of me again at the sight of him. It didn't lessen when I realized who it was.

"Hades?" My voice was barely more than a breath.

His eyes snapped open and looked directly at me. I stared back at him in horror. We sat like this for several heartbeats. He slowly sat up as well and warily reached out his hand towards me. I flinched back from his touch. He withdrew his hand with a confused look and we continued to watch one another. Every muscle in my body was tense like a wild animal, ready to flee at the slightest movement.

I could stand it no more. I finally found my voice.

"What happened?" I demanded in a hoarse whisper. "Where am I? Why am I here?"

Hades kept staring at me intensely with his shadowed eyes. The force of his gaze unnerved me.

"Did something happen to me?" I tried again. Surely that was the reason? I refused to consider any other thought.

Silence.

"Will you stop staring at me and tell me what's going on?" Fear made my voice high and screechy.

"You're in the Underworld," Hades finally said. His voice, though deep and controlled, hinted at a torrent of emotions that could break out at any time.

"The Under-" My breath seemed to stick in my throat. The room twisted and spun around me. I couldn't breathe.

Hades stood and moved so he was standing in front of the cold fireplace. "Yes," he spoke without looking at me. "And you will be here for-a very long time."

"How long?" What did he mean?

He inspected his fingernails longer than any man had the right to before he answered me, "Forever." It was such an inadequate reply-so brief.

"Forever," I gave a shaky laugh, trying to show confidence, though on the inside I was so nervous that my stomach ached. "Why would you say that? There's nothing to stop me from walking away right now."

"Actually, there is. It is against the law of the Underworld for any to leave." That was right. Cyrus had told me as much before. "And besides," he took a deep breath and tentatively looked me in the eyes, as if waiting for my reaction. I knew that I didn't want to hear what he was going to say next, but I couldn't stop myself. "We're married now. My brother performed the marriage himself."

Marriage. It was the ultimate form of commitment for a woman, and for it to be done by the Head god was to have no way out except for Zeus releasing me himself, or death. Since I was immortal, it seemed that only intervention from this nightmare would have to come from the very god that had place me in it. And nightmare it was. Yes, I had wanted to see Hades again, but Zeus Almighty, that didn't mean I wanted to _marry_ him. I had done nothing that I could recall that ever gave Hades the impression that I would welcome his abducting me.

And what about Mother? What would she do when she found me missing? I was her entire existence, as she liked to tell me often. Would I ever be able to see them again? Cyrus had claimed that no one was allowed to leave Underworld once there. If she was right, then Hades was more cruel than I had thought anyone was capable of being. Suddenly, I was angry.

I rose to my feet, shaking in wrath and in fear.

"How dare you?" I asked in a low, intense voice advancing slowly on Hades. "What makes you think that you have the right to steal me from my home?"

To his credit, he did not back down or cower at my fury, but stood his ground calmly. However, he did seem...surprised, as if he didn't expect my reaction. I received a shock as well when I caught a glimpse of hurt in his eyes.

"Well?" I asked, softening ever so slightly. _Perhaps this can be worked out,_ I tried to reason fairly. _It could, after all, be a misunderstanding._

He narrowed his eyes in what I presumed to be confusion. "After what you said last night… I thought that you would welcome this. You can be your own person here, without your mother telling you what to do."

So he had abducted me then. "This isn't the way to achieve that!" I shouted. "As far as I'm concerned, I've gone from being her prisoner to yours."

Hades flushed a dark red. "I'm not keeping you prisoner here. I was just trying to help you!"

"Can I leave then?" I shot at him.

Hades looked down and said, grudgingly,

"No. I already told you that."

"Then how am I not a prisoner?"

"Alright, I confess, you may be a prisoner in body, but not in mind. Your mother was going to force you to marry Apollo without even telling you."

"So you decided to kidnap me and marry me without asking me, or even my mother for permission?"

"At least I'm not going to tell you what to do or what to love!"

"Except you want me to love you," I said scathingly. "Well, I'm not going to do it, Hades. I can't help being your wife in name, but I will not let it go any further. I don't want you to so much as touch me."

I was within arm's reach of him now, too close to get away when he grabbed me, as quick as a snake, and kissed me. Hatred rose up like bile in my throat and I shoved against his strong shoulders, but he still held me.

All my uncertainty, confusion, fear, and anger burst out of me in the form of thick, thorny vines that twisted themselves around Hades, pinning his arms to his side and pushing him away from me.

For a moment, I stared in shock at my hands, amazed that I could call forth such vicious life so quickly. I had, of course, used my god-powers before, but never like this. Never had I produced life from nothing, but rather encouraged plants that already existed in their growth.

I suddenly recalled with sharp clarity the power I had felt in my dream from what seemed a lifetime ago. This power was of the same kind as that. I was almost frightened at my own display of might. But I was more frightened at the moment of Hades.

He was struggling against the strong vines, trying to rip them away with his bare hands, but that made them only grow back the stronger and soon they were winding themselves around his neck and creeping over his face. For a second, he stared at me wildly, and then his eyes narrowed and closed, and I could feel god-power surrounding him, far stronger than my own.

My pulse quickened as I panicked again. I didn't know what would happen, but I could feel that I would come out the worse for it. I fled towards the door in the hope that I could escape before whatever was going to happen, did. I could feel the room get darker around me and then-it felt as though my spine had been torn from my back or like my breath was suddenly gone and refused to come back. I collapsed to the floor, just a step away from the door.

Even with my eyes shut, I could feel Hades' menacing presence looming over me

"You would be wise not to try me." Though he said it in a near whisper, there was again that barely controlled emotion under the surface of his hard voice. "I won't touch you, if that's what you want, but remember that in the Underworld, I am the master and I will not be attacked, not even by a weak woman like yourself."

"What did you do?" I asked. Though I tried to sneer as I said it, it came out as a whimper. _What has he done to me? Why do I feel so weak?_

"I wish that you hadn't forced me to use my powers like that," he said as though whatever had just happened were only a slight irritation to him. "I dislike that particular method of dealing with problems, but you gave me few choices."

I lifted my head up, that now felt so heavy, and saw my vines laying on the ground, black as ash.

"You killed them."

Why was I feeling so weak? Had Hades somehow injured me?

"Yes." He sound so...blasé about it. Did he know what he had done to me, or was he as ignorant about the full effects of his god-powers as I was of mine? Whichever it was, that didn't change the painful hollowness I felt inside of me.

I closed my eyes again against the overwhelming exhaustion that I felt. Mother had been more right than I had ever dreamt she would be. It had been foolish for me to think I knew better than her and to continue talking to Hades against her wishes.

That monster left the room now, without another word.

With what strength I still had, I stumbled to the bed and laid back on it. Tears trickled down my face and even the little strength I had had just moments before faded into oblivion.


	10. Chapter 9: Hades

Back in my private room, I paced angrily, silently castigating myself. _Stupid! Idiot! You shouldn't have done that. Why did you have to go and make things worse?_

I supposed that Persephone's reaction must be very normal, under the circumstances. Didn't I feel _exactly the same when I first came to this dismal kingdom_ … my thoughts trailed off. I felt sickened at the horrifying question that came into my mind. Was I turning into Zeus, inflicting pain on others with no thought for anyone but myself? But this was completely different, I rationalized. I needed Persephone. I-I loved her. She was the only thing that had made me take an interest in life for a long time.

That didn't matter, she was never going to love me now, not after what I had done. I slammed a hand against the great stone fireplace, cursing myself over and over again. _If I only could go back in time,_ I thought regretfully, _and reverse what I did._ But not even a god can take back his actions.

I just hadn't expected it. I knew she would be confused, yes, and frightened, but she would get over it. She hadn't been frightened when we spoke at the banquet. In fact, she had been rather bold. And then when we spoke just the night before, she had looked at me with such yearning. I had never seen her angry, I didn't know how to respond. I had been too caught up in focusing on how Zeus or Demeter would react, and no time on how Persephone might feel. I had never even considered that she might not want me.

But why had she fallen to the ground like that? I had assumed that I would have to chase her down to prevent her from falling off a cliff or something in the dim light, but when I had used my god-power to kill her plants…. I had used that particular power very little in the past. In fact, not at all since the Titan War.

Finally, I sat wearily in front of the large stone fireplace. The fire flickered to life. Images began to appear again. The first scene showed me myself, alone and betrayed. I remembered that day. It was the day I had promised that, no matter what, I would never be like Zeus. The scene in the fireplace shifted to show a completely different Hades, one who didn't care about others, one who sought his own advancement above the wants and needs of others, and, more disturbingly, above his own personal morals. This Hades sat on a throne that was constructed of human bones. The fire went out. I rubbed hand across my eyes to dispel the image, but it still lingered.

 _I'm not becoming Zeus,_ I insisted to myself _._ I couldn't be. I tried to push the thought out of my mind. I noticed a flicker out of the corner of my eye, but didn't stay to see what else the fire had for me. I all but fled the room.

 _I need to get rid of that fireplace_ , I thought grimly, slowing down to a calmer walk. I was lost in my thoughts and didn't pay attention to where I was wandering. I realized, however, that what my hearth had shown to me earlier had indeed clarified my thoughts. For so long, I had obsessed over what had happened with Zeus. It had consumed my thoughts and dominated the reasons behind my actions. Now, for the first time, thoughts of something else were slowly taking over. Whether or not this would be a good thing, I couldn't tell, but it was significant.

In my wanderings, I ended up in my large, geometric throne room. The dour room had a heavy air to it, an air that seemed to be ubiquitous throughout the entire Underworld. After having all those souls to judge at once, I had decided to stop judging them personally. It was too much for me to do by myself. I decided on a panel of three judges, all kings in their mortals lives, to judge the dead for me. I had not as yet chosen the judges, but I would soon.

Distractedly, I weaved through one column and out another, agonizing over what to do. The columns were shaped like grotesque gargoyles, with leering faces. Some might have found them repulsive, but I had long ago become indifferent to the hideousness of the saturnine Underworld and had come to even like it. I made my way to my cold throne and sat down with a sigh.

I wondered if there was any way I could send her home. That would be the best course of action. Except I had said it myself. It was against the law for her to stay away forever. I could accompany her to the world above for short amounts of time, or even give her permission to leave by herself for a time, but if I did that, she would want to spend all of her time up there and never give me another thought. No, it would be better if she became resigned first and then slowly grew to love the Underworld (much like I had.)

A thought struck me. Perhaps this was a situation, like the judging, that I couldn't quite manage on my own. It had been so long since I had really interacted with people, and more especially with women, that maybe an intercessor of sorts would help. I needed someone that could become friendly with Persephone and persuade her to think more kindly about me. Yes, that could work.

I called out for one of my servants to come. As I waited, I wondered where in the world I would find such a person. Just then, a woman walked in. Her face with thin and she had her brown hair pulled back in a tight bun, giving her a severe look. However, smile wrinkles lined her mouth and eyes. Aspasia, I remembered her name was. As a dutiful servant who had always followed my orders to the letter in the past, she would be perfect.

"Yes, my lord?" She asked softly.

I studied her.

"You're a woman," I said clumsily. "Do you know how to...speak to another woman?" I felt awkward asking the question. I had never had to deal with women and their emotional drama in my whole life.

"I'm sure I could, though it has been many years since I've spoken with any that are still living." So she guessed I was talking about the new Queen. I supposed it must have gone around the whole Underworld. Even though most of my servants were dead, or, rather, undead, they were incorrigible gossips.

"There's something I need you to do." I explained my plan to her.

"If that's what you wish me to do, my lord, I am more than happy to help."

"Thank you, Aspasia. Make sure she has everything she wants. Maybe we can show her that the Underworld has some benefits to it."

Aspasia inclined her head towards me in a sort of a bow and left to carry out her orders.

I got up and began pacing again. This ploy might work, but honestly, the easiest way to get out of this predicament would be to force Persephone to eat food grown in the Underworld. Any person who did that found themselves desiring to stay more than anything else and, beyond that, were sealed into the Underworld stronger than any other power, even the marriage that Zeus had performed. With marriage, Zeus could still release Persephone. I paused in my pacing. That loose end had not occurred to me before. I could very likely be compelled to force Persephone into eating if I wanted to keep her here. I felt sick at the thought.

Though I felt no qualms against covert deceiving, something about outright force seemed wrong to me. I promised myself right then and there that I would not stoop so low. It didn't matter if she didn't speak to me for three thousand years, I would never break my promise.

However, the thought occurred to me that persuasion or even a bit of trickery wouldn't be wrong. It was all part of the game, after all. The thought cheered me up somewhat and I immediately began devising ways to trick her into eating the fruit.


	11. Interlude: Demeter

She was glad the war was over. Fighting stressed and hardened her, but the earth, the dirt and the plants, they restored her. She spent the first millennia exploring the land and testing her powers, pleased to be free to do as she wished. She missed none of her siblings. Poseidon had quickly disappeared beneath the waves before she had even a chance to speak to him. Zeus and Hera were absorbed in one another, not to mention that she and Hera were too much alike to get along well. She didn't miss Hestia, whose self-sacrificing ways seemed to her to be more self-righteous and judgmental. Aphrodite she thought unmaidenly, flaunting herself the way she did. A woman did not need to use her body to get what she wanted.

And Hades, Hades had scorned her. The memory of it still smarted, though she knew he had done it unknowingly. She never told him of her feelings, but in every conversation she could sense that he wished to be finished, the sooner the better. So, she had felt no remorse or regret sending him into exile. He deserved it and she would pine no more.

The world, she discovered, was beautiful. Far more beautiful than she could have imagined, but she found she could improve it. Barren areas flourished under her hand, rocky plains turned to lush forests, deserts bloomed, and she was happy.

Then the mortals awoke and realized that they were more than simply mud. They thought and worked and worshipped. Their worship strengthened her, strengthened them all, and she could feel her powers grow with their prayers. She loved to help them. Not just for the piety that it invoked, but for their honest gratitude.

So, she helped them for another millennia and a half, enjoying every moment of it. In doing so, she became one of the most important and powerful goddess, despite the ever growing pantheon.

She walked through her woods one day, as she often did, but this time was different. This time she felt lonely. She came to the edge of her woods and saw a field, the hard brown earth being overturned by a young man. A voice called from across the field and a woman came out to him. The man dropped his plow and ran over the dirt mounds to scoop his wife in his arms. Their love and companionship was painfully easy to see for the solitary goddess watching them.

She walked away then, but returned almost every day to catch a glimpse of them. Sometimes, she would see the man by himself, sometimes with his wife, and sometimes, no one. Each scenario injured her.

That's when _he_ began walking in her woods. Zeus had changed from the early days. Instead of the look of a youth, he was a man in his prime, with white and gray locks and beard replacing his golden ones. He was still handsome, though, and she could see that he was burdened with many cares. Perhaps that is why she felt pity for him.

He was warm, courteous, open. He complimented and flattered her and made her to feel as if she were the only woman in the world. She knew of him, knew of his past, but she fell for him anyway.

He didn't come back after that.

She bitterly regretted opening herself up to heartbreak, but regretted more the pain that was brought sharply into focus after being relieved for a moment. She wept for a while in solitude, then rose to do her duties again. They brought no joy to her numb heart.

One day, she returned to the woods and the little field with its two mortal caretakers. There was the man, tending his little plants and then came his wife, a bundle in her arms. The wife called to the man again and, again, their happy reunion was watched by her from a distance. She raised her hand, ready to smite the couple out of anger and jealousy, to curse them for her own pain's sake.

The moment before the fatal strike, the woman handed the bundle to the man, revealing for the first time that it was a child. A beautiful babe it was, too; she could see that. And she could see the love that the couple, but especially the mother, felt for it. She resolved to curse these mortals for their happiness, but almost as if in response to the love emanating from the couple, she felt a new life stirring within herself and she realized that she would soon be happy in a similar way. Her hand was raised now in a blessing.

In a little less than nine months, she held her own child in her arms. A lovely girl with hair as golden as her father's had been. But when the child opened its eyes, she felt the coldness of dread come over her. Its eyes were as black as death.

The Fates were called and gave their dire predictions. And they also gave the child a new name: Persephone, bringer of death.

She felt fear more acute than any she had ever felt before. Her child's future could no longer be trusted to fate, so she took matters into her own hands. She retired with the child, whom she called Kore, deep into the country, far away from any other influence, and there raised the young girl in the way she saw best.

Being a mother was more difficult than what she had been prepared for. Kore was willful and carried a streak of independence that drove her mother wild. Her worry for her daughter turned her harder than ever. She did not care how the dangerous spirit of freedom was quelled in Kore, so long as it was done. Her love was shown in her goals, not her methods. And it almost worked.

Kore was quieter in her later years than she had been in her earlier ones. The girl stopped challenging her mother's authority at every turn. She was proud of her work with her daughter and now knew that there was only one thing that would keep her from danger forever: marriage to an Olympian god. But who was worthy? That question kept her from choosing a groom for her daughter for a time. Too long of a time.

The summonings came from Zeus for all to come to a banquet. She fretted and worried about what such an occurrence might bring, but could not ignore the command of the King of the Gods. She vowed to keep an eye on her daughter the whole night, but her vigilance wavered for a moment. Oh! How she rued forever afterwards her moment of weakness.

Her daughter was lost to her.

When she found out what Zeus had done, how he had let their daughter, _her_ daughter be kidnapped, she didn't weep. Weeping would not bring Kore back, but action would. So, she acted.

Zeus loved his precious mortals so much, and so she would take them away. Let them see the rage of the Goddess of the Harvest. Let them see the power of a mother's love.

The plants died, and with them the mortals. The world turned cold, cold as her heart, and ice fell from the Heavens. She would teach the world the lesson it had been begging for from the beginning.


	12. Chapter 10: Persephone

"Mistress, please eat something," Aspasia, my new maid, said not for the first time that day, nor the last I was sure. I was laying on the bed I had awoken on, not ready to yet face the what had happened.

"No," I said yet again.

"You must be hungry."

I didn't bother answering that one. Of course I was a little hungry. Who wouldn't be after missing a day's worth of food? But Mother had always told me to never eat any food given to me by anyone but her. Though I still didn't know her reasons, I knew I trusted her much more than I trusted Hades or anyone working for him.

I had recovered somewhat from previous day's incident. Some of my strength had come back to me, though I still felt more weary than I ever had in my life.

"Is there anything else I can get for you?" asked the woman patiently.

"Yes," I answered sarcastically. "I want pillows stuffed with feathers from swans with pure gold beaks and feet. If Hades can get that for me, then…"

"Then what, my Lady?"

"Then nothing." I was growing frustrated with her constant conversation. Turning my back to her, I closed my eye, hoping for sleep. It was the only escape that I could think of at moment, but, despite my tiredness, the bliss of unconsciousness eluded me for a few hours. When I did finally fall asleep, I found some measure of contentment. That all left the instant I awoke again, however.

My blurry eyes focused slowed on a mound of white. Pillows. And on top of them rested a black diamond. Ah, yes of course: my wish. Hades was trying to get on my good side and had left the diamond as a calling card of sorts, _but_ , I thought, _it won't be that easy._

I saw no reason to be considerate of anyone, so I asked for things that were very inconvenient: the famous golden fleece, the skin of a manticore, a lyre made from the shell of a turtle that had lived exactly nine thousand, nine hundred, ninety-nine days inlaid with the purest gold. All these things were provided and more. It gave me a childish satisfaction to know that I was aggravating Hades by coming up with horribly hard requests to satisfy.

As gratifying as it was to frustrate Hades, I grew bored of it quickly. I was tired of seeing the same four, dark walls, but there was nothing to do. I had no one I wanted to talk to, I had no projects that I could work on, and I didn't feel like singing or dancing. In short, I was slowly going mad from the boredom.

I awoke on the third day since my abduction feeling restless and rumpled. Despite the amount of sleep I was getting, tiredness still weighed on me, but the feeling was overrun by a desire to clean myself up. My hair was full of snarls, my robes were disheveled, and my face was in desperate need of a wash. I felt absolutely disgusting. I gathered enough motivation for myself to get up and clean myself off the best I could in the basin of water that was there for my disposal. I felt a little better and tried to tackle my curls. My scalp stung after attempting to tame the first few locks. Just as I was about to throw my comb away in disgust, Aspasia walked in.

"My Lady," she said, giving me a small curtsy. "Shall I have a bath drawn for you?" I eyed her suspiciously, wondering if she was mocking me behind that cool expression. No, I finally decided, she was just being polite. I nodded and in less time than I would have thought, a large tub was set up in the middle of the room and warmed water was brought in.

I disrobed and lowered myself into the water. The temperature was perfect, warm without being scalding. I took my time cleaning myself, enjoying the heat on my stiff muscles, and, after I was clean, just soaked in the warmth. Eventually, I got out and slipped on the robe that was laid out.

I wanted to wear my dress, but I couldn't seem to find it anywhere. Aspasia must have taken it away, I realized. Annoyed, I opened one of the many wardrobes in the room and searched for a dress. As I had noticed before, they were all colors that would compliment my complexion perfectly. At random, I pulled out a long peacock blue gown and tried it on. It fit flawlessly. I blushed when I noticed the low neckline, but knew that grown women usually wore dresses such as this one, and sometimes much lower.

I went back to the wardrobe and pulled out an emerald green shawl with golden tassels. Though it wasn't near where the dress had been, it seemed to have been made for it. I hesitated, not wanting to wear it, but then again, it would be a shame not to wear it with this dress. On impulse, I looped it through my arms, marveling at the soft fabric and the shimmering color.

Following that same impulse, I did my hair in a simple bun, with a few curls hanging around my face, and put some jeweled combs in it as decoration. To complete the look, I added golden earrings, bracelets, and necklaces that I found in the jewelry boxes.

I walked up to the long, gilded mirror that hung next to the wardrobes and inspected my appearance.

The dark color of the dress provided a stunning contrast to my gold hair and jewelry and seemed to fit my surroundings as well as it fit me. The long cut and high waist accentuated my trim figure and statuesque height, and the shawl added a flair of elegance. Unlike the fancy clothing I had worn to Zeus' banquet, the overall effect was one of grace and understated richness. In this dress I was no longer a girl, I was a woman, a queen.

 _Queen of the Underworld,_ I thought in disgust, turning away from the mirror, _Hades' queen._ I may have looked the part, but I never wanted to act it.

Yet, as I walked around my room, I almost couldn't help it. The training my mother gave me in acting stately and elegant came back. I had usually ignored her, and had just been my usual graceful, if somewhat hesitant, self. In this dress, however, my old instincts wouldn't work. If I ever wanted to wear this dress correctly (which I didn't,) I would need to be smooth, majestic, imposing.

After a moment of thought, I removed the shawl and all of the jewelry to simplify the ensemble. I wasn't about to let beautiful things distract me from ugliness of the Underworld.

I considered the dark dress in the mirror. Even alone, it made me fit my surroundings better than I would have wished. After a moment's thought, I removed it and pulled out a plain, white chiton. The bright white was distinctive enough against the gray stone to make me feel comfortable, which was odd since I usually preferred not to stick out of the crowd. But here, I felt as though it were the only way to be true to myself.

I was just about to go back to laying around when I heard an angelic sound. Music. Music like I had never heard before. Melodies floated through the air, weaving images and emotions that tore into my soul. It called to me. It called to everything to come and hear its sorrow.

Weariness forgotten, the sound led me to Hades' throne room. Inside was a familiar looking godling who shone like the sun. He was playing a golden lyre, tears flowing freely from his eyes. He couldn't be a god, I realized. No god would dare to come here. He must be a mortal, or, at the very least, half mortal. Then it hit me. He looked just like Apollo, my half brother and would be husband. This must be his son.

I envied him his ability to create music so effortlessly, and yet so powerfully. With the extensive musical instruction I had received at my mother's request, I knew that this young man had achieved a level of musicianship that few gods could even aspire to. And he was mortal.

The music stopped and I came back to myself. I shook my head to clear it and took my eyes off of the man for the first time since I entered and looked at the throne. There sat Hades, his dark hair a mess, his clothes ratty, providing a stark contrast to the immaculately groomed young man. I expected Hades' face to show _some_ sort of emotion. Even he must be touched by the sorrow that was so plainly written across the troubled face of the youth. But no, he sat completely unaffected and even a bit skeptical.

Hades shifted to a more comfortable position on his throne. Neither he nor the young man were aware of my presence yet.

"Your loss is regrettable," Hades said in an apathetic voice to the man, "but you'll understand that I cannot bend the rules for you. There are laws in the Underworld, and you've already broken several just by being here. You'll just have to wait until you die to see your…?"

The young man licked his dry lips and said in a cracked voice, "Wife. She was-is-by all rights _should_ be, my wife. I love her, I miss her, and if I waited for my own demise before I could see her again, she wouldn't be my wife any-" His voice broke and he gave a dry sob.

"I believe that I already made myself perfectly clear," said the heartless shell. "You'll have to leave now."

I couldn't bear to stay silent any longer. "What happened to your wife?" I asked, stepping out into the open.

"Persephone! What are you doing here?" Hades asked, bewildered. He rose to meet me and put his hands on my shoulders, attempting to steer me firmly away. "This isn't anything that you need to concern yourself with, it's just a small issue."

I shrugged him off and kept my focus on the youth.

"What's your name?" I asked in a soft voice.

"My name is Orpheus. I am the son of Apollo, and my wife, Eurydice, was bitten by a snake and perished because of it. She is my life, my support, my whole reason for existing. I will do anything to get her back, no trial is too arduous, for she is worth every pain." His very voice was music, broken as it was. The emotion was almost tangible.

Tears were falling freely from my eyes now. I couldn't bear the thought of this man being separated from what he loved for the rest of his life.

Hades was the only one with power to restore Orpheus's wife to him.

I turned to Hades, and impulsively took his hand in both of mine, leaned in towards him, and gazed straight into his black eyes. I started to form a long, logical argument, but the look on Hades' face stopped me. His eyes were on my hands, and he looked surprised, but not unpleasantly so. I realized that I didn't need logic to sway him. I unclasped one of my hands and took his other hand.

"Please." It was barely a whisper. Hades opened his mouth to say something. I knew that look on his face, the look that said that he was about to do what he wanted, whether I liked it or not. It was the same look my mother got when we argued. Then… I don't know really what happened. Something in my face must of triggered something, because Hades looked down at his hand encased in mine and lowered his head, brushing a slight kiss across my hand.

"As my lady commands," he murmured. I shivered and pulled my hands away with a jerk, suddenly frightened by the contact. Hades looked rather piqued at my reaction, but didn't address it.

"Orpheus," Hades motioned him forward. "I still cannot directly defy the laws of the Underworld, but I can give you a chance. I will release your wife to you on one condition: that you leave the Underworld immediately. Eurydice will follow you. If you look back at her for any reason before you are both out of my domain, you will die, and Eurydice will return to her final resting place. Do we have a deal?" Orpheus nodded mutely. Hades called Eurydice, but not without a look that said he thought it was a bad idea.

A beautiful young woman with flowing hair entered the room. She held her arms out to her husband. "Orpheus!"

Orpheus grew pale at the sight of her. Without a word, he turned and ran out of the palace. Eurydice followed, calling out to her husband to wait for her, begging him to stop.

I watched the door until I could not hear her calls any longer and then I left the throne room without meeting Hades' eye.


	13. Chapter 11: Hades

Orpheus never made it. He actually got to the entrance of the Underworld, and then he just had to turn around. Apparently, Eurydice's pleas for him to turn around and look at her had gotten unbearable, and Orpheus, not realizing that she had to be out of the Underworld as well, even though I told him that she did, turned while she was just steps away from freedom. I _knew_ I shouldn't have allowed it. It was completely against my better judgement, and now Persephone would blame me for what happened.

After Orpheus's failure to follow my very simple, very clear commands, both he and Eurydice chose to drink out of the Lethe, one of the five rivers that ran through the Underworld. The Lethe would remove a person's memory, leaving them ignorant and, presumably, blissful.

It was the coward's way out of pain. Orpheus, of course, had the idea to drink instead of having to live with his mistake forever, and Eurydice had followed suit. Nothing I said would dissuade him from his choice, and I could do nothing to stop them from partaking of the water.

I will admit that part of my irritation was because I now had to tell Persephone that her wish, the only thing that she asked me for that she truly wanted (beside her freedom), had not happened because Orpheus was too weak to resist a woman's begging for just a few more steps.

I summoned Persephone to my throne room, uneasy about how she would react to the news. She arrived looking nettled. Her arms were folded tightly across her chest and her lips were pulled into a thin line.

"How dare you?" She hissed. "I'm not some servant or dog that can just be summoned at your will! If you want to talk to me, you'll just have to condescend to come see me yourself."

She turned on her heel, and tried to storm out of the room.

"Orpheus is dead," I called after her. That stopped her in her tracks.

Persephone whirled on me, her face as pale as death. "What?" She asked quietly.

"Orpheus failed to follow the terms of our agreement. He knew the consequences of his actions when he made that deal with me, and now he has paid for it." Persephone didn't respond. The look on her face made me feel as though I had to defend myself. "What sort of fool would take a risk like that? The dead can't come back, and bad things happen to those who try to interfere with fate. Everyone knows that."

"A man is dead because of you," Persephone said in trembling voice, "and separated from the woman he loved, and all you can talk about is how foolish he was to try? Why don't you look at your own actions for an example of someone who is truly foolish? You see a woman at a feast, decide that you love her, and instead of trying to win her the normal way, you-you kidnap her and marry her against her will!"

"Persephone, don't lay this at my door!" I said, losing my temper. "I only made that deal with Orpheus because you begged me to. I broke laws that are not meant to be broken, and who is going to pay for them? I'll tell you, it's not going to be me! He was playing an all or nothing game and he knew the rules. I told him everything, you heard it yourself. So don't. Blame. Me."

As I spoke, I had gotten closer to Persephone and now I was towering over her. My hands were gripping her shoulders tightly. I hadn't even noticed myself doing it.

Persephone's face said it all. It didn't matter what I said, or how many times I explained it to her, she would blame this tragedy on me, and I couldn't change her mind, especially not through physical force. So, I would have to try to see it from her side. I carefully let go of her and took a few steps away from her.

"Persephone," I said in a calmer voice, trying to sound reasonable, "I can understand where you are coming from."

"Really?" She sounded skeptical. "I suppose that you know the pain of the eternal separation from the thing you love most?"

"Actually, I do. But, this isn't about me. If there was any way that I could let Orpheus live a long and happy life with his wife, I would, but I don't decide who dies and who lives. I keep charge of their souls and do my best to make sure that they spend eternity in the way that suits them best." She wasn't buying it, so I gave up. All I could hope was that she wouldn't hate me more than she already did.

Persephone was silent for a drawn out moment, and I would have given anything to know what she was thinking. In the end, she just shook her head and said, "After what you did to me, I should have known better than to expect mercy from a selfish beast like you." With that, she left the room.


	14. Chapter 12: Persephone

I was struck by another bout of sullenness and lethargy after my talk with Hades. That meant that I spent the next day on the bed, sleeping or staring off into space. Hades didn't summon me any more, but actually came and visited me. He was very gentle with me, which surprised me. I had thought that he would lose his temper, yell, anything, but he was very patient. He became the Hades who had spoken to me at the feast, the one who had listened to my innermost desires in the night. Once in awhile, I would catch myself thinking about how kind he was, but I always chided myself and stopped. He wasn't kind, he was a monster and no amount of patience could change that. His good-hearted persona must have been an act, a part in whatever nefarious plan he had for me.

Ever since the incident with Hades and the vines a few days before, I could feel my strength waning. Whatever Hades had done to me seemed to have affected me more permanently than I thought it would. I hadn't recovered at all. Rather, almost imperceptibly, what he had started continued on in me, a slow, silent killer that I could sense there, but had no idea how to stop.

Aspasia, on the other hand, seemed to be genuinely attentive. She didn't seem to mind my sullenness. She would talk to me and was never upset if I didn't answer her, something I was grateful for. I wasn't really in the mood for talking to anyone.

"Did you know that we have gardens here?" Aspasia asked one day in an attempt to engage me. I was laying on the bed, ignoring the world, and more especially, Hades. Aspasia sat in the chair that she had pulled up close to my bedside, working on a square of embroidery.

I lifted my head up a bit. "Really?" Aspasia's question was the first thing that had caught my attention in days. My face darkened as an idea occurred to me and I laid my head back down. "I suppose that it's full of black flowers of death, or something of that nature."

Aspasia's voice was mild and smooth as always as she answered. "Of course there are such plants, but we also have common flowers and trees. They are quite beautiful."

"How do they grow down here without the sun?" I wondered aloud.

"It's not sunlight that causes plants to grow, my lady."

"What else would it be?"

"The will of a god. Plants grow on the surface because gods like Apollo, Demeter, and yourself desire them to. It is the same for the Underworld."

I digested the information. I had never bothered to learn about my own powers. I had always relied on Mother to know what I should do. Perhaps I should have taken more time to learn, but...it was too late now. "Why would Hades want things from above down here? He hates everything to do with the Earth."

"That is where you are wrong, my lady. He does not hate the Earth. In fact, there was a time near the beginning when he would forsake his duties and just stand at the entrance of the Underworld, watching. He almost went mad with have been deprived of something he loved so. Perhaps that longing is part of why he loves you."

I felt uncomfortable whenever Aspasia mentioned Hades loving me. She did so often, matter of factly, and without ceremony. Perhaps she hoped that I would accept the fact if I heard it enough and would start to love him back.

 _If that's what she thinks_ , I thought with a snort of derision, _she's in for a disappointment._

"If he loves the world above so much, why did he choose the Underworld?" I reverted the conversation to safer ground.

Aspasia hesitated. "There was a betrayal, something to do with a bargain that he made with Zeus. Zeus didn't uphold his side." She stopped talking. It seemed like she was trying to push down some emotion I couldn't name.

"Forgive me," she said, "This is something I should let the Master explain himself. It's complicated and I don't know much about it. The Master is the only one who fully understands the matter."

I suspected that that was a lie. Her repressed emotion caught my attention, but it would be rude to push the subject, so I let it pass.

"How do you know so much about Hades anyway?" I asked. "Are you a goddess?"

"There are many powers in this world, my lady, and not all of them are gods. I was here before the Titans formed the Emptiness into substance, before the first word was spoken, before time had meaning." Aspasia's voice was far away, remembering days in the distant past. She came back to the present and looked down at the forgotten embroidery in her lap. "I have served the Master for a thousand years. One can learn much if one listens."

Hades walked in at that moment, wearing his customary boots and dark gray shirt, but he lacked his usual jacket. His lean arm and torso muscles were shown off perfectly with that shirt. _Stop it,_ I told myself sternly, angry at myself for noticing something so stupid. Hades caught me looking at him and smiled with his perfect teeth.

Aspasia greeted him with a small smile, but I turned my head away. I had refused to talk to him since the awful day before. It didn't seem to bother Hades anymore that I ignored him. It infuriated me when he didn't respond to my magnificent unconcern. I suppose that's why he did it.

"Persephone," he said behind me. I kept my eyes stubbornly on the wall. "I have something for you. I know that you're not going to look at it right now, and even if you did, you would pretend that you didn't like it," he gave a chuckle, "so I'm going to set it on the vanity and you can look at it later."

"My lady," Aspasia said with delight, "it's a necklace. Oh! It will match your complexion perfectly!" I didn't respond. "I'm sorry, My Lord. I'll make sure that she tries on this beautiful gift."

"Thank you, Aspasia," Hades said. "Persephone, I was also going to ask if there was anything you need?" I remained stubbornly silent. Hades gave a slight sigh and addressed Aspasia instead, "How is your charge today?"

"Very well, my lord. I was just telling Her Majesty about the gardens. She was very interested to hear about how flowers grow here."'

I shot a glare at Aspasia, but the cursed woman continued to smile as if nothing was wrong.

"Of course!" Hades exclaimed. "Why didn't I think of that myself?" He turned to me and held out his hand. "Would you care to visit the gardens with me?" Noticing my hesitation, he added after a pause, "Aspasia would come, of course."

I did not want to go anywhere with Hades, but I did want to see the gardens. I missed the flowers, and Aspasia would be there. Maybe it would be alright. I had a hard time bringing myself to agree, however. My pride fought hard against my longing. Pride was about to gain the upperhand, when an idea occurred to me. If I went, I could see if there was any way for escaping. Perhaps I could even get Hades to reveal some secret about his dominion. I sat up and took his callused hand with a sickeningly sweet smile plastered on my face and said,

"I would be glad to accompany you, my Lord."

As I approached the gardens, Hades at my side, Aspasia a respectful distance behind, I saw a sight that physically hurt me. I could see signs of once well tended beds that had fallen to disrepair and weeds. It made me sad to see such beautiful things languish underground. _Like me,_ I thought.

I knelt next to one particular flower, a small bluebell. Its drooping leaves were turning brown and the petals weren't blue so much as a washed-out cream. As I studied the wretched sight, a single tear rolled down my cheek and dripped from my chin into the center of the flower. The flower visibly straightened as the tear hit it and grew more vibrant.

As it began to fade again, my sadness swiftly turned to anger, anger at Hades for his thoughtlessness, anger at Aspasia for being on his side, and anger at myself for letting my hopes get up.

"If you are just going to let the plants die down here with no one to care for them, what is the purpose of having them?" I asked through gritted teeth, still staring at the flower as it drooped. I stood and swept off, not waiting for an answer.

Hades caught up with me quickly by virtue of his longer legs and his lack of restricting skirts. I cursed inwardly. I then noticed a conspicuous lack of Aspasia's presence. The woman seemed to have an awful habit of slipping away at the most inconvenient times.

"You're right," he said. "Nobody does take care of the plants down here. None of my servants have the desire, and I don't have time."

That was untrue, from what I could gather. Aspasia had dropped many hints about how Hades couldn't stand the sight of anything too beautiful, as it reminded him of what he had lost. I found myself almost feeling sympathetic. That moment of seeing a bright flower again had brought painful memories of home to me and, if what Aspasia had said was true, Hades must feel somewhat like that. But, no. He didn't have to live in such a vile pit. If the will of a god was really all that was required to grow plants, then could make this entire place alive with beauty. Right now, it was dead. I don't just mean there were dead spirits, but that the very stones were dead. Diamonds have no life, gold holds no warmth. No, he could make the Underworld stunning if he tried. I mean, relatively. The Underworld would never be as beautiful as my Mother's gardens, of course. Even so, I would feel no pity for a man who chose to live like Hades did.

Hades continued, "You are more than welcome to spend time here and cultivate the plants."

I didn't grace his suggestion with a reply. I, help his disgusting realm? Never! I had to get away from all of this. The more I saw of the Underworld, the more I realized how perverse the whole thing was, a mockery of true art. I retreated back into my cloudy mood and resolved not to talk to Hades again, for a while at least.


	15. Chapter 13: Hades

Well, she certainly had a temper. And a stubborn streak. I didn't think that she would. I guess that I was really out of touch with people, because, honestly, I had thought that she would love the garden. That's why I wanted to show it to her in the first place. I must admit that I planned the whole scene with Aspasia. I was very pleasantly surprised when Persephone actually agreed to come with me. It had seemed to be going well, until I saw the gardens and realized that I hadn't bothered to have them taken care of. I supposed that I somewhat deserved her anger, but I hadn't meant it to be like that. I had thought that it would be less...disastrous.

Persephone continued her act of ignoring me again the next day after her outburst. _Well, let her. I'm certainly not going to try to stop her from sulking_ , I decided irritably.

Alright, I lied. I tried to stay away, I really tried, but I couldn't go more than a day without seeing her again. I don't know what it was. She hated me, she aggravated me, she made me lose my temper, but I still wanted be around her. It wasn't just because she was stunning either. If I cared about beauty so much, then I wouldn't have minded Olympus. I just...I _liked_ her. The more I saw her, the more I fell in love with her. Even her ignoring me made me love her more.

Unfortunately, everything I did seemed to make her hate me more. Well, I guess I _did_ catch her admiring my well muscled body once in a while when she thought I wouldn't notice. I suppose that was a start, though not necessarily the one I would have chosen.

When I stopped trying to stay away, I still tried to justify my reasons for visiting her. Those reasons ranged from I wanted to see if she was comfortable to I accidently walked in and I was really trying to go to another place entirely. Persephone, predictably, ignored me every time I showed up. I hid my annoyance the best I could and showed her my soft side as much as possible.

 _This is getting ridiculous,_ I thought one day after standing in front of Persephone's door, trying to decide whether or not my excuse for being there was valid. _I can go anywhere I want, and I don't need an excuse,_ I convinced myself. So, I barged right in.

Persephone was actually sitting at her vanity. She looked up at me, seeming irritated and embarrassed at the same time. I wasn't sure why, until I noticed that she was wearing the necklace I had left for her. It was a delicate gold chain with interlaced with pearls and diamonds and it looked beautiful on her.

My thoughts flew out of my head at the sight of her. Then, I grinned.

"Persephone," I asked very casually, "is that the necklace I gave you?"

Persephone blushed a deep red and hastily took it off.

"It, ah, looks very nice on you," I said, grinning broadly, walking very nonchalantly to stand behind her chair. She turned away from me so that I was now looking at her downturned face in the mirror.

"Oh, really?" She asked coldly, trying also to be casual. She didn't meet my eye. "I hadn't noticed. Aspasia thought that I should try it on at least once so I wouldn't seem rude."

"Of course," I said with a perfectly straight face, "I know how hard you've tried to avoid being rude to me." My mouth twitched ever so slightly.

Persephone's face was bright red, but her voice was calm and cool as she replied, "Yes, indeed. And since I wish to respond to the warm and comforting welcome I received in a like manner, I want you to have this back." She turned and held out the necklace to me with a very slight, very icy smile. "As a token of my appreciation, of course."

The rejection wiped the smile off of my face. I hadn't meant to be rude. I was only teasing her.

I knelt and took the necklace in my left hand and her hand that was holding it in my right. After a moment of consideration, I laid the chain back across her palm and closed her fingers around it with mine.

"Persephone," I said softly in all sincerity, not a hint of sarcasm in my voice, "I gave this necklace to you because I thought of you when I saw it and I thought that you might like it. There's more to it, though, than meets the eye. It was given to me by Eirene, the goddess of peace. She said that it would bring the wearer tranquility. I know things haven't been easy for you. I know I've-" my voice broke here and I had to cough to clear it. "I know I've made mistakes, but I truly do want you to be happy down here, with me."

I looked down at her white hand that was no longer trying to break free and stroked it gently with my thumbs. Her head was down and her hair was covering her face, preventing me from seeing her expression.

I sighed quietly. "I'm trying, Persephone, I really am. Please let me."

I let go of her hand gently. She sat perfectly still on the chair, the necklace still in her hand. I started to stand, then hesitated. Gently, I laid my hand on her cheek. She didn't respond. I tilted her face up to look at mine. Her lips were trembling slightly. Whether it was out of fear or some other emotion, I didn't know.

I leaned towards her and kissed her cheek. Again, she didn't react, so I kissed her mouth. This time, she flinched away. She stood up and all but fled to the other side of the room. I got on my feet and took a step towards her.

"Persephone…."

No, I couldn't do this right now. I needed to leave before I made things worse. I stalked out of the room without a backward glance.


	16. Chapter 14: Persephone

It was a trick. It had to be. He was just putting on an act, trying to get me to feel sorry for him. Well, I wouldn't let Hades win. I wiped my mouth against the back of my hand, trying to rid myself of the memory of that kiss, of his roughened hand on my skin. I needed to get away from here, now.

Despite what Hades had said about never being able to leave, I still intended to try it. I couldn't live my whole life, regardless of the outcome, knowing that I had never even tried.

I decided that I wouldn't be able to gather any information on my own, what with Aspasia always following wherever I went, so I began paying attention to Hades' schedule discreetly for several day. Hades was very organized and had a very precise way of doing things. That meant that he was very predictable. He rotated through a series of duties every week, and even told me about them when he came to visit me. I still refused to talk to him, but that didn't stop him from talking to me. It was because of his incessant chattering that I was able to plan my escape; he was even foolish enough to tell me about the journey the mortals took into the Underworld. I felt as if I knew my way around the Underworld rather well by the time I attempted my escape.

I waited for the perfect moment to set my plan in motion. The opportunity came when Hades left for his weekly circulation of his vast kingdom.

I noticed that Aspasia would leave me for several hours to be by myself if I was sleeping. It was an easy matter to feign slumber and it wasn't long before Aspasia left, no doubt to get some rest for herself. As soon as she was gone, I slipped out of my rooms and snuck out of the palace.

The road leading out of the underworld was steep and rocky. I made my way, clutching three pieces of fragrant bread that Aspasia had left in my room in one hand and a coin in the other, past the Fields of Punishment where all the evils souls went after death. Their screams and moans made the hairs on my neck stick straight up and I could feel the heat from the blistering, torturous flames, even from where I was.

I went on past the Fields of Asphodel, where those who had not distinguished themselves in any way went. It was a dull place, full of greys and browns. Every soul sat or stood, saying and doing nothing. Not a sound could be heard. I almost felt more sorry for the people that ended up here than in the Fields of Punishment. At least there they had something to do, something to remind them that they still existed. Here, nothing matter. None of these souls could _truly_ be said to exist.

I continued and paused a moment at the green Fields of Elysium, the afterlife for all Heroes and those favored of the gods. I half wished I could spend time there, drinking and laughing with the rest. My stomach gave a rumble, reminding me sharply of my hunger. _No_ , I thought, wrenching myself away from the enticing scene, _I will wait until my goal is complete._

Five rivers ran through the Underworld. I identified the River Styx and followed its path. The walls tapered as I went on, gradually forming a narrow cavern that contrasted sharply with the dark expanse that blanketed most of the Underworld. Soon, I came upon Cerberus, Hades' colossal three-headed dog. He lowered his heads at me and snarled deep in his throat and I gave a small shriek as I saw him. Big dogs of all sorts terrified me, and three-headed dogs were beyond the pale. Luckily, I was prepared. I quickly tossed one of the loaves to each head. Distracted, Cerberus snapped up the treat greedily, giving me just enough time to get passed. I breathed easier when I was past him.

I came to the banks of Styx and stood until I caught sight of a sizeable boat, full of the souls of the dead, coming towards me. It touched my side of the river, and the souls mournfully disembarked, their pale, pathetic forms gliding past me, taking no notice of me. Perhaps they took me for a ghost, I was so pale and thin. Charon, the ancient, stooped ferryman, didn't seem to see me standing there either, and he began to prepare for yet another monotonous trip across the river.

"Wait!" I called out.

Charon slowly stopped and turned around.

"Yes?" He asked in surprise, his voice thin.

"I want to get across. I have money to pay you," I held out the coin in my hand.

"You are not dead," he said, leaning forward to inspect me, squinting his wrinkled eyes. "In fact, you are not even mortal."

"No, I'm not. But I wish to leave," I still held my coin out.

"I cannot. I only take the dead across. No living. It's the law." He spoke only half to me as he muttered into his scraggly white beard. He started to push off.

"Please, wait! If you'll only listen," I pleaded with desperation. He stopped, though he seemed upset that I was still there. I took a deep breath and proceeded anyway.

"I don't belong here. I belong in the sunshine, among the flowers, but I was abducted against my will. Death did not take me, yet I have not experienced life. So yes, I am not dead, but neither am I living. Therefore, you have no orders against bringing me back." I had prepared and practiced that speech for many hours. I considered it to be a masterpiece of confusion and logic.

Charon stood, digesting the information. I didn't know what he was thinking, but I could see his worn eyes glistened over with tears as he thought. Blinking them away, he slowly nodded his white, balding head and held out his hand for my coin. I gave it to him gratefully and scrambled into the boat. It wasn't a long boat ride, no more than five minutes long. I didn't pay any attention to my surroundings or silent guide in that time, thinking only of the moment when I would once again see the sun and feel the grass. The boat came to the rocky edge off the water and I stepped off. I took a few steps forward, then turned back.

"Thank you," I whispered to the bent man, then fled into the awaiting tunnel to the light.

I didn't feel any fatigue as I rushed up the sloping floor. The daylight seeping into the tunnel grew brighter and brighter as I went on until, in a burst of speed, I was out in the open.

How glorious it all was! To be among the trees and grass, to feel the sun and smell the flowers! Had the world always looked so wonderful?

I kicked my sandals off and knelt on the soft, green grass, breathing in its scent. I buried my hands in the long tufts, and rolled over onto my back, laughing breathlessly.

I didn't have enough time to drink it all in before the screaming started.


	17. Chapter 15: Hades

I was riding my horse along the edge of Tartarus, deep within the Underworld when I heard the Furies, the spirits of vengeance, begin to screech, a sure sign that they were hunting new prey. I paid them no mind.

 _Let them do their work,_ I thought distractedly.

But as the wail echoed back to me, it brought with it the name of the Furies' victim. _Persephone. Persephone._

I started with surprise. _She can't have left,_ I thought in horror _, Haven't I taken every precaution, planned every detail?_ Apparently not.

I checked to make sure that my sword was at my side and thanked the the Fates that I had decided to bring it with me. I spurred my horse into a gallop, hoping to reach Persephone before the Furies did. There was no telling what they would do when they got to her, but I was sure it wouldn't be good. As I neared the river Styx, Cerberus lept out at me, barking and growling. When the hellhound saw it was his master, he shrank back with a whimper. I ignored him.

"Charon!" I roared. The old man looked up, fear shadowed in his eyes. "Where is she?"

I lept of my horse and covered the ground between myself and Charon in two mighty strides. My more massive figure towered over the cowering man by a good two heads. I yanked Charon up by his tattered robe so he was forced to look me in the face.

"M-my lord?" Charon stammered.

"Did she pass by this way?" I demanded. "Did she?" My fists shook the pathetic wretch until his teeth rattled in his head.

Charon gave a jerky nod, gasping for air. I dropped him in disgust.

"I'll deal with you later," I said stonily to the cringing, wheezing man. After remounting, I backed my horse up a hundred yards and galloped at full speed toward the great river. In one bound, the horse cleared it, taking off as soon as he hit the ground on the other side. The clattering of hooves filled the tunnel as we thundered our way to the world above.

The sky was dark with the Furies' wings as they flew around Persephone. Wind whipped around them, and the heavens were heavy with storm clouds. Thunder sounded in the distance. One by one, the three Furies landed on the ground by Persephone's helpless body. Their writhing snake hair hissed, their bloodshot eyes bulged, and their pointed teeth gnashed. Lifting their heavy brass scourges in their clawed hands, they shrieked in triumph. No sound in Earth, Heaven, or Hell could be as eerie and paralyzing. The sound made the horse stop in his tracks.

Before the Furies could bring the fiery scourges down upon Persephone, I whipped my horse forward and charged, shouting commands in the Ancient Tongue as I went. The Furies scattered, screeching and howling. They started to advance on me, but I brandished my sword at them.

"We demand blood, and not even you can deny us our prize," they hissed at me. One of them reached her claws out towards Persephone, but I cut her off.

"Back away! She is under my protection."

That made her pause.

"Are you taking responsibility for her actions and for her punishment, O Dark One?" She moved her head around, snake-like, as she spoke.

I felt an awful sense of foreboding as I said, "I am. You will get your prize. Now go!" I slashed my sword down at them.

The Furies scattered with a howl, but slowly retreated, gnashing their teeth, back to their lair. As they left, the storm rapidly shrank until it was nothing more than a few wispy clouds.

Once the Furies were completely gone, I dismounted hastily, rushing to Persephone's side. She was conscious, but just barely. I gently caressed her face. At my touch, her eyes flew open and she stared at me wildly. A spark of recognition came to her eyes, and she threw her arms around me, clung to my neck, and wept into my chest.

"It all went dark. I couldn't see. All I could hear was that dreadful shrieking, over and over and… I thought I was going to die!" She heaved another sob.

I wasn't exactly sure what I was supposed to do, so I just held her to me.

Gradually, Persephone composed herself enough to speak. "Why did you send them after me?" She asked in a haunted voice.

"I didn't. The Furies act independently from me and follow laws I had no part in making. Persephone, why did you go? I told you already that you couldn't leave." My voice held no reproach, despite my words. I already knew why she had done this.

"Hades." She lifted her face towards me. "Please let me go," she whispered desperately.

My heart burned in agony to see the tear-stained face of the woman I loved look at my own with such hope. My desire to bring her happiness fought with my desire to have her near me. I wanted to give her anything, but I just couldn't bring myself to give her this.

"I can't."

At those two words, Persephone went limp. I realized with a start that her skin was ice cold. In a panic, I searched for a pulse. There. As soft as a butterfly's wing beneath her skin. I let out the breath I was not conscious of holding.

I sat back and thought for a moment, breathing evenly to calm myself. She couldn't die, she is a goddess after all, but she was losing strength fast, and though deity couldn't die, they could waste away until they were nothing more than just their powers.

I didn't understand it. Why wouldn't she just eat? There must be something that I was overlooking. Nobody just doesn't eat for no reason. An idea occurred to me and I looked at my surroundings for the first time since I got out here. I hadn't seen the surface since...I didn't even know. I had passed through, of course, but not _really_ looked.

I had forgotten what it was like, seeing endless, indescribable shades of blue. And the sun...had it ever been so warm on my back? I could feel the deep set chill in my bones loosen and release its grip. My breath came easier. How could I have forgotten? But I hadn't, not really. That was part of the reason why I was so deeply attracted to Persephone. She was warm and gentle, like Spring. Spring had been my favorite season before. The cool, soft air, very different from the suffocating heat of Summer.

Of course. She was pining for the outside. If I, who had barely spent any of my life in the world before I was banished under it, had this much of a reaction coming back after three thousand years, then she must miss it even more so. A wash of empathy came over me. I touch her cheek gently with the tips of my fingers. Even in her sleep she flinched away from me and I pulled back, stung. It was so strange and confusing. Why had she clung to me so much when I had rescued her from the Furies, only to pull away from me now?

It was almost like she had two sets of instincts: one warning her to stay as far away as possible, the other attracting her to me and the rest of the Underworld. I had seen small evidences of this attraction. Our conversation before this whole mess had begun. Her not pulling away from my kiss immediately, her questions about my past that Aspasia informed me about, her sitting by me the first time we met, not speaking to any of the other gods, though they probably were less intimidating. But that was just a few moments out of a hundred. The rest of the time, she was cold.

Or maybe that was just the wind. I came out of my thoughts, puzzled. I didn't remember the outside world ever getting quite so chilly. And why were the leaves on that tree turning brown? Was it sick? No, all the trees were like that. There was a strange taste in the air, one I had never experienced before. Persephone shivered in my arms from the crisp air. I needed to get her back to the Underworld where she could be warmed.

I wrapped my jacket around her bare shoulders and carried to her my horse, the temperature dropping noticeably. With my wife in the saddle in front of me, I made my way back into the Underworld.


	18. Chapter 16: Persephone

I awoke to the sound of a whispered conversation. The words rang in my mind, meaningless. Gradually, they formed themselves into coherent sentences.

"...needs to be alone. I think it will help her come to terms with her new life. She hasn't had any time to be by herself." I recognized Hades voice. He sighed. "I don't know what else to do. She's the only one who can change her mind."

Aspasia's hushed voice answered him. "Of course, my Lord. I-" They both fell silent. I think they must have realized that I was awake. After a moment, I heard the sound of their footsteps as they walked away.

Once I was sure they were gone, I opened my eyes and sat up. The room swam in front of me, and I put my hands on either side of me to steady myself. The nausea soon passed and I was able to take stock of my current situation. I had tried to leave. Those...monsters had pursued me (I couldn't repress a shudder at the memory.) Hades had saved me. He had also told me that there was no way to leave. He had told me that before, but I hadn't believed him, not really. Now, the reality of my situation demanded I ignore it no longer.

I lay back down on the bed, letting a wave of despair come over me. I was completely alone for hours, as Hades had said I should be, but I didn't have the strength or the desire to do anything about it. My thoughts wandered at random and I eventually came to the conclusion that I had to make a choice: either give up and live the rest of my life in despair, or accept what had happened and make the most of it. I was strongly inclined to choose the former.

 _No, you can't do that,_ I thought to myself, my eyes squeezed tight. _You are a goddess, not some weak mortal woman_.

Mother may have been a demanding woman, but she had taught me that, if nothing else, I was a goddess and that meant that I could do things that no ordinary woman could. She had taught me to be strong, if not directly, then at least by example.

I rose from my resting place and forced myself to move. I stumbled of my rooms and walked through the halls of the dark castle.

They were too confining.

I walked outside and to the edge of the cliff that Hades' home stood on. It was too high to see the bottom of and I wondered what it would be like if I could let myself go into its dark embrace and face my end like any mortal could. It didn't seem fair to me, in that moment, that they had a way out of their pain, and I was forced to go on, day after day, with no end, either of my own pain or of the farce that Hades called a marriage, in sight. Then I remembered that even if I could die, I still wouldn't have escaped my problems; I would still be stuck in the Underworld for eternity, but without even a glimmer of hope for rescue or escape.

I turned my back to the edge and began my wandering anew. I didn't pay attention to where I was wandering, being as wrapped up in my thoughts as I was. I looked up to realize I had subconsciously retraced the route I had taken to escape.

I knew I had gone farther than I thought when, without warning, Cerberus jumped out at me, barking and snarling. I stumbled back with a yelp and lost my balance on the rocky surface. Cerberus towered over me, his huge heads all focused on me. One head lowered and sniffed at me cautiously, growling deeply. Tentatively, I held out my hand to it, offering to let him smell me. He did, and after a moment of consideration, gave my hand a swipe with his tongue, though Zeus only knows why.

I rose to my feet and inconspicuously dried off my hand behind my back. "Nice doggie," I crooned softly, rubbing his snout. Cerberus immediately sat down and began wagging his tail. I laughed with a sudden realization. "Oh, you poor baby! You just want someone to be nice to you, don't you?" I scratched behind his ears with both my hands, still smiling. The other two heads nosed their way under my arms, whining for their turns. I laughed and petted them all until I felt better.

I sat down at the giant dog's feet and chatted with him. He laid an enormous head in my lap, wetting my skirts with his drool. I was going to need a bath after this.

I found myself talking to Cerberus, telling him about everything: my childhood, my mother, my escape from the Underworld, Hades.

"I don't know, Cerb," I sighed, idly scratching the top of his middle head. "What am I supposed to do? I mean, I obviously can't leave the Underworld, at least, not without Hades' permission. The biggest problem about this place is that there's nothing to do! When I lived with Mother, I had friends I could visit, I could run around the woods, I would weave, or help Mother make pots for the mortals to store their food." I leaned down and whispered conspiratorially in Cerberus's ear. "What I really miss is dancing. I used to dance all the time, did you know that?" Cerberus cocked his ear back, looking at me with his watery eyes. I laughed at his surprised expression. "I'll take that as a no then. That's when I first met Hades, you know. He sat there, watching the other women dance, glowering at everyone. I was so afraid of him. Well, actually, not exactly afraid. I was nervous that no one would like my dancing, and I was sure he wouldn't. But, then, afterwards, he complimented me. I was the only dancer that he even talked to."

I went silent.

"I don't have the heart to dance any more. I've tried, once or twice, but I can't seem to find the rhythm. I keep misstepping and I feel awkward. I never could dance when I felt lonely." I stood abruptly, causing Cerberus to growl slightly at me.

"I'm going to go now, alright? I'll come back soon." I gave him a final pat and backed up slowly until I was out of his reach, then I turned and walked away. When Cerberus realized that I was leaving, he began barking like crazy with all three heads, straining at the chain that held him.

I gave him one last wave, and then walked leisurely back through the Underworld to take a bath and change my clothes. It was amazing the change of outlook having a big three-headed dog drooling all over you can give you.


	19. Chapter 17: Hades

I awoke a few days after rescuing Persephone early in the morning, hours earlier than was my wont. Sleep wouldn't come to me; I was too worried about her. It wasn't that I thought she would escape again, but what if she went wandering in some place that she shouldn't? Some place that was too dangerous for someone as inexperienced with violence as she was. As I said before, the Underworld was a dark, secretive place. One misstep could send someone falling eternally down a bottomless pit or into the den of a half-forgotten monster. I had told Aspasia to give Persephone room, but what if that meant that she was just unprotected?

Thoughts like these were the reason I woke so abruptly and was unable to fall back asleep.

Since I was awake so thoroughly, I decided there was no use staying in bed and instead wandered outside my palace for a few hours. I settled into pacing back and forth at the edge of the cliff, my feet unerringly avoiding the empty space beyond, despite the near-complete darkness. The monotony and rhythm of walking calmed me and allowed my thoughts to drift away where they pleased.

I thought of Persephone and her persistent weakness and I wondered if it was all due to pining for the overworld and not eating. I thought of how close I had come to almost losing her.

I thought of my own promise to the Furies and had to admit to myself that I was...well, if not afraid, then at least apprehensive of what would happen to me.

I thought of the past, how I had never had the chance to be carefree, but was always thrown from one problem to another. My father, in order to save his own skin, swallowed all of his children to prevent the prophecy of his doom from being fulfilled. All except lucky Zeus, who was destined even from that young age to have everyone, including our clever mother who hid him from Cronus' wrath, love him most.

I thought of the Titan War. Times had been simpler then. There was a clear enemy and I was allowed to unleash my full rage upon our forerunners. I had ripped those mighty beings to shreds with my bare hands, earning me more fear from the rest of the gods than anyone else. I still remembered being covered head to toe in ichor after one particular battle. I felt the bloodlust and triumph of victory and had turned to the rest of the gods, expecting them to return my jubilant grin, but they had only looked at me with undisguised horror.

I thought of the day that I realized that I was completely alone in the world, except for ghosts, the literal ghost of the dead, as well as the figurative ghosts of the past.

I thought of meeting Persephone and how amazed I had been to feel that spark of connection once again. I had almost forgotten that it existed.

I thought of my own useless existence, dragging on year after century after millennium.

I took step after step on that cliff side, teetering between stability of stone and a plunge into a void. The sounds that I could hear were my own footsteps and the occasional clattering of rocks as they broke away from under my feet and tumbled down the cliff. I could see my feet now, since the torches that usually gave the Underworld its light were slowly waking up, mimicking almost the rise of the sun.

I stopped dead. Only one thought rolling through my mind. _What is the point? What is the point? What is the point?_

 _What is the point?_


	20. Chapter 18: Persephone

I dreamed again, as I did every night down in this place. I had been dreaming about my mother and the land above. I had ran off after a flower that had blown away in the wind, laughing as I went. Suddenly the sky became overcast and thunder shattered the peaceful air. In front of me, the ground had opened up and Hades appeared, his black eyes a cold abyss that made me shiver as they fell upon me. I had tried to run from him, but the god was too fast and I was his captive.

I awoke still shivering. I expected to still hear the distant sound of thunder and the pattering of rain like I might have back home, but only unnerving quietude greeted me. That was worse.

Though it had been several days since the incident with the Furies, I still wasn't myself yet. Despite my earlier resolve to force myself to be stronger, I was unsure about what I wanted. Should I do my best to avoid Hades again? Should I talk to him? The dynamic of whatever sort of relationship that we had had shifted perceptively, though I didn't know exactly how.

Even though I was unsure of the time of day that it was, I wrapped a robe around myself and set myself on a path towards wherever my feet decided to take me.

And of course, they had to lead me right into Hades. He stood as stiff as a statue, almost blending in with the still stone surrounding him. With a suppressed sigh of frustration, I backed up towards the door. And promptly lost my footing and slipped.

That got Hades' attention of course and he turned towards me with a surprised start.

"Persephone. I thought you were sleeping."

"I was," I said with a furious blush, "but I had a bad dream."

"So you came to find me?" The hope in his voice was highly evident, making me more embarrassed than before.

"No-o-o," I said slowly. "I wanted to clear my head."

"Ah. And how are you feeling? I hope-I hope you are recovered. That is, I hope you are feeling better than before. You've seemed not yourself these past weeks. Or at least-you seem very tired," he finished lamely.

"Yes, I have been tired, thanks to you," I stated drily.

"Thanks to me? I'm sure I've not demanded that you do any arduous task."

"Nonetheless, I blame you." Surely he couldn't be ignorant about the reason for my extreme exhaustion?

"Do you care to explain yourself, or are you just going to continue enjoying being mysterious?" He was annoyed at me, which was a surprising change of pace in his behavior towards me. I didn't find the change unwelcome. Annoyance was something that I understood, that I could deal with. His constant attention of me was confusing, quite frankly. I found myself feeling almost grateful for the familiarity. Grateful enough that I dropped my hostility slightly.

"Hades, the first day you brought me here, I unleashed more power at you than I have ever released in my life," I began. I looked down at my feet, instead of at Hades' half shadowed face. "I fully admit my ignorance with god power, but I think...I think that you hurt me somehow when you killed my plants."

Hades was silent.

"I felt weak immediately afterwards, and that weakness has continued on. I want to know if-or rather, what happened." I looked up at Hades now, wondering what he was thinking. I was amazed at my own honesty and it left me feeling decidedly odd. I had almost asked if he had done it on purpose, but balked at the last moment.

"I know what happened, Persephone," Hades at last conceded. My interest piqued, I regarded him attentively. "But...I'll not tell you. You would only hate me more than you do already. No, more than that. You would look on me with the same horror and disgust that all other inhabitants of Olympus already do. Did you ever wonder _why_ I'm treated with such revulsion?"

I realized that he expected me to answer. "Well, I-I assumed that it was because you were the Lord of the Underworld."

He laughed mirthlessly. "Why should that bother them? They're secure in their immortality, are they not?"

"I suppose so."

Hades shook his head at me, all trace of his mocking smile gone. "No, they're not. I am, to them, a constant reminder that true immortality is an illusion. I am the only threat to their godhood and power. They hate me because they fear me."

I didn't know what to say at this cryptic remark. My own ignorance and the uneasy silence that was at the edge of the Olympian brilliance was abruptly to my attention. There was always some dark secret about Hades that went completely unspoken. Only the older gods and deity knew what it entailed, while the young were forced to accept vague and empty explanations.

"Why do they fear you?" I asked at length.

Hades fixed me with his shadowed, haunted gaze and I got the uncomfortable sensation of having my soul laid bare. "You are my wife, Persephone. You look at me with hate and anger, but not fear. Not yet. I want it to remain like that for a while longer. Perhaps someday, when you learn to trust me and you know me better, I will tell you, but for now, there are things that I must not say. Now, if you will excuse me, I have an appointment. It might take a while, so you may not see me for a time."

He then turned and walked away, not towards the palace, but off somewhere else. To his "appointment," I presumed. I had to admit as I returned to my chambers to finish my fitful sleep that Hades definitely had the art of a climactic speech and impressive exit down.


	21. Chapter 19: Hades

It was time to face the consequences of Persephone's actions. I had put it off for as long as I could, but I had to face it eventually, or the Furies would just come and take Persephone, regardless of our deal, and then demand payment from me anyway.

Everyone has a deep fear, secret from the rest of the world, whether or not they acknowledge to themselves. It is the duty of the Furies to find out exactly what that fear, that horrendous nightmare is so that they can torment the soul that has done wrong. They are a heartless, unholy trio who afflict those who come into their power with madness and torture.

So, it was with great trepidation that I descended to the Furies lair. It was located in the underbelly of the Underworld, a place full of the skeletons of buildings, animals, humans, and civilizations. Thick layers of dust and slime coated every surface, and, from the putrid stench, I realized that the slime was rotten blood.

I passed a fresh corpse that lay face up. Its limbs jutted out at awkward angles and one of the legs was missing entirely. What little skin that was left on its bones was charred black, all except for the face. That was left in perfect condition so that the look of absolute terror could be preserved. And it wasn't the only one. Similar corpses littered the ground around my feet.

As I continued on, it became darker and darker until I came to the ancient archway the marked the point of no return. Once I passed this gateway, no laws existed but the Furies. I took a steadying breath and stepped into the Furies' home.

It was a foul place, even one used to the murk of the Underworld as I was. The darkness was thick and tangible and I could feel it clinging to my skin. I raised my torch, lighting a tight ring around my feet, squinting to see my surroundings. The darkness pushed against my small circle of light and tried to extinguish its glow. At the sight of my torch, a hissing screech greeted me.

"Show yourselves, creatures," I commanded into the blackness. The swirling mist solidified into three figures in front of me.

"We have been expecting you, Lord Hades," they whispered eerily on all sides of me. One stepped closer and said, speaking to the others, "It has been too long since we have entertained a god, hasn't it, sisters?"

The others hissed their agreement. "Tooooo long, sisters," she repeated, stepping and leaning in close enough that her snake hair tickled my cheek. The hairs on my body stood on end as a chill moved up my spine, almost paralyzing me. She knocked the torch out of my hand, allowing the darkness to overwhelm me. My eyes adjusted quickly, and I could still make out their images around me.

"Step back, Megaera," I commanded softly, careful to keep any sign of intimidation out of my voice. That only made them laugh, slow, haunting laughs. They knew that I couldn't command them while I was in their power.

Megaera spit in my face before returning to her sisters, just to prove how much power she had over me. I wiped the burning spittle off my skin disgustedly, causing Megaera to laugh at me. "Tisiphone, Alecto, shall we begin?" Her tongue darted out of her mouth and licked away a spot of blood from the corner of her cracked lips.

Tisiphone lashed her scourge a few times in excitement, while Alecto sat still, but intense, waiting for the perfect moment to strike.

I closed my eyes, trying to prepare for what was coming next, but having no idea what to expect. I took a breath in and let it out. Nothing happened.

Another breath in and out, faster this time.

Nothing happened. After a few minutes went by, I finally cracked my eyes open. A whisper came through the murky dark.

 _Hades. Hades._

My head snap towards the source of the sound, but all that greeted my eyes was black mist.

 _Hades._

I gritted my teeth and crept forward.

"Hades." There, sitting on a rock, looking just as I remembered her, was a woman. Her auburn hair shone softly in the dim lighting. Her hands were folded gracefully in her lap and a heavy shawl was pulled around her shoulders. Her face was stern, and her eyes were cold and dark.

"Mother?" I asked cautiously. She turned and looked at me, seeming confused. My breath choked as it hit me that it was indeed my mother.

"Hades? What are you doing here?"

"You called me, Mother. Don't you remember?"

"Nonsense," she said, looking past me. "I was calling for Zeus. Where is he? Where could he have gone? Zeus? Zeus!" She pushed past me and wandered into the darkness.

"Mother!" I cried, going after her. I caught up to her and took her by the arm. It felt solid under my hand. I looked into her wild eyes. They focused on me, but I could see no recognition within them.

"My son, where is my son?"

"I'm here, Mother." She grabbed my head in her hands and yanked my face close to hers, searching it for something. After a moment, her expression hardened and her nails dug into my skin.

"No son of mine. Zeus is my son, my only son." She let go of my face and walked away.

"No, Mother, I'm here. I'm here. Mother. I'm here..."

I had no time to recover when I heard the sound of a whip, followed almost instantly by a searing pain across my back. I jerked my head around, hoping to stop the next attack, just in time for a frayed end of leather to catch my cheek. My face throbbed and I could feel trails of ichor dripping down to my chin. I ducked and raised my shoulder, thinking to escape the next lash. This one got my upper arm, slicing straight through the thick leather of my jacket and deep into my skin.

Another scourge joined the first, and soon I was curled up on the ground, enduring the worst beating of my life. Every time a lash fell, jagged metal cut through the skin to the bone. Sometimes, one of my bones would snap from the force of a blow, sending new waves of agony over me. Being a god, my wounds closed up fairly quick, but that just meant that the Furies could be even harsher on me.

Eventually, that phase of the torture did stop. My wounds had been closing up slower and slower, and now they seemed to be closing at the rate of a mortal's. I lay, gasping in agony for an eternity of pain. Once I was sufficiently healed and my pain retreated some, I struggled to my feet and inspected the damage. My clothing was reduced to tatters, a bone in my shoulder was still shattered, and a cut that stretched from the outside corner of my eye to my lip that was refusing to heal.

 _Not_ too _bad_ , I thought, trying to be optimistic and forget that this was only the beginning. I felt my shoulder bones knit together and, after I was fairly certain that it was fit enough to move, rotated it in a circle.

I looked around hesitantly for my next torture. I didn't have to wait long.

My eyes widened when I saw Persephone standing in front of me looking lost and frightened.

"Hades," she sobbed, when she caught sight of me. Her white face appeared spectral in the ghostly smoke.

"You monsters!" I bellowed into the emptiness. "We had a deal! You were to leave her alone." Echoing laughter was the only reply I received.

At the sound, Persephone started and cried harder. "Hades!" She plead, holding her arms out to me.

I rushed to her, taking her in my embrace….. Only to have her stiffen at my touch and collapse. I knelt, staggering slightly, as she dropped to the ground, and still cradled her in my arms. The color drained from her skin until it was the greenish-gray of a corpse.

I had killed her.

My hands were the hands of a murderer. All gods had a gift, the power that made them gods, and killing was mine. Killing of the body and soul. The ultimate death.

I stared in shock as Persephone's body dissolved into dust and bones. Even the stark white skeleton crumbled in my arms and I, for the first time in my life, truly wept as I realized that I would truly destroy everything I loved. In fact, I already had.

Even as the sobs shook me, as the agonized groans tore from my lips, I knew that what I had seen had only been an illusion created by the Furies to taunt me. But, in a truer sense, it had been real. My touch had began the process of death for my wife, and as I had witnessed so much before, there was no stopping it.

When I came to myself, I was curled up on the ground with my knees hugged to my chest. I released the tension from my cramped muscles slowly and got up, feeling weak. I rubbed my eyes tiredly and my hands came away wet with tears, blood, and sweat.

My mother, too, had to have been an illusion. I was going insane, literally. The Furies were inflicting madness on me, and I honestly couldn't tell fact from fiction while in this state.

Mirthless laughter filled the abyss around me. I wondered vaguely what new torture was in store for me.

 _"For all his cryptic glares, the Great Lord of Darkness is nothing more than a child crying,"_ Alecto's voice taunted me. _"And its mother doesn't even want it. How does it feel, Hades, to know that there is no way Persephone could ever love you, when your own mother couldn't? And who could blame her? You'll ruin her like you've ruined everything else."_ I put my hands over my ears to block whispers, but the sound penetrated into my mind and heart, resonating there.

 _"Isn't it ironic,"_ her voice drawled on, _"That the only two women you have ever loved are the ones that hate you the most? Poor Hades. Poor frail, pathetic, stupid Hades. You're just never quite what people want, are you? You're weak. Women want strength in a man, but you don't have any. All you have in your heart is selfish cruelty. So, go ahead, coward. Beg for mercy. You can stop the pain and save yourself. It's not like you have any real pride left anyway."_ Her voice dissolved into a laugh and all went silent.

My breath was coming out in strangled gasps, fast and shallow. I wanted this to stop, this hell. It was tearing me apart from the inside out. I was about to give in and beg the Furies for mercy, but then I remembered Persephone. Innocent Persephone, who didn't deserve to go through anything I had inflicted on her. These were not her sins I was paying for, but my own. I couldn't let her take this when it was I who had earned it. It was the very, very least that I could do.

"Come, you hags of the night!" I screamed into the void. "Do your worst! Don't stop your tortures now. I'm ready. Come ON!"

" _As you wish."_

With that, the ground beneath my feet erupted into fiery coals, and rapidly burned through the soles of my boots. I howled in pain and ran. The blaze followed my steps. I tripped and fell on my knees, my shins knocking against the ground. The heat licked around my legs. I jumped to my abused feet and stood on them as long as I was able.

Against my will, I found my feet giving out from under me. I fell on my hands and knees and screamed. It was all too much.

 _NO!_ A part of me demanded. _You are Hades, Lord of the Underworld. You were born to be a king and you will not give up._

Exerting more strength than I ever had in my life with a primal roar, I rose to my feet once more. They barely deserved the name, so scorched and blackened were they. I could see the bare bone where the skin had burned away completely in places. Those areas grew wider and the pain grew more intense. More intense, eventually, than even I, who was one of the mightiest of gods, could endure.

I surrendered to my fate and collapsed to the ground.

Pain became my world. The constant, scorching, burning pain. Was there ever a time when the pain hadn't existed? To my numb mind, it didn't seem so. I couldn't fall unconscious, and so I had to bear every instant of the merciless torture.

How long had gone by? Hours? Days? Eons? I no longer knew when the pain finally receded and my blackened skin began its healing.

" _We are done, My Lord."_ Tisiphone's voice sounded almost respectful, but I could barely understand the words. When I did finally grasp their meaning, I dragged myself away from that hellhole at a pace that would have made a snail pity it, until I came to what must surely had to be the most beautiful sight I had ever laid eyes on: my rundown little garden. I fell down under the wilted leaves of the pomegranate tree, completely spent.


	22. Chapter 20: Persephone

After I awoke, I took the day to think and consider things. I figured out and planned what I wanted to do, and rehearsed telling Aspasia to the mirror. When I felt confident in my resolution, I summoned Aspasia.

"I have come to a decision, Aspasia," I announced.

"And what is that, my lady?" She asked, tidying up the room as she went.

"Stop that," I said, taking the rag she was using to clean off the surfaces out of her hands. She sat down calmly and looked at me with polite interest. I took a deep breath in, and said in a rush, "I have decided that I am going to make a deal with Hades. He will let me go free, and in return I will let him visit me once a fortnight." I smiled, thinking that this was a more than fair offer.

Aspasia's lips grew thin. "Is this the best that you can do? Some small, selfish token is all you can manage to give?"

I looked at Aspasia, mouth open in surprise. "Aspasia, you are going too far. You do not have, quite frankly, the right to be saying such things."

"My lady, I am not speaking my feelings, I am speaking what Hades has not brought himself to tell you. You owe Hades more than you can imagine."

"Really?" I asked, growing angry. "Oh yes, I suppose you're right. I do owe Hades for taking my life away. I suppose that means that I should _give_ him my life freely in gratitude!"

"Hades- Oh, it doesn't matter! You two have been blind to the other person this whole time, and I don't think I could say anything to change that."

"That isn't my fault. I don't want to be here," I said sulkily, knowing I sounded childish, but was too upset to care.

"Persephone," Aspasia said in a more kindly tone, "You can't change him, and you can't change your situation. The only thing you can change is you. I think you'll find that if you try to change what you have control over and stop pushing against a wall that's not coming down, you will indirectly influence things around you, and they may eventually be more like how you want them."

Try to change what I had control over? Why should I be the one to change? I didn't ask for any of this. And yet, I had already changed, somewhat. Wasn't that the very essence of life? Only those that were dead did not change. I would be changed whether or not I wanted to, and if I was going to, I supposed it would be better to control how it happened than to wake up one morning and find that I had become someone I wished I hadn't.

I wasn't about to let Aspasia know what I was thinking, though. Petulance had too firm a grip on my emotions for me to give in so easily. However, I didn't want to listen to any more of a lecture, so I said, "Alright. Thank you. I will bear that in mind," in a curt tone that did not indicated thankfulness in the least.

Aspasia nodded and left with her usual grace, giving no sign of disappointment or irritation in return. This made me even more annoyed than before.

The more I thought about it, the more I realized that Aspasia was wrong. I _could_ change this place, and I was going to. Starting with the area I could do the most in: the gardens.

As I stepped out to the once cultivated grounds, I felt genuinely lighter. I knew how to use my talents to help this small plot of land flourish. I wasn't going to let the idea of Hades stop me from doing what I enjoyed.

I walked around the garden, examining every inch and planning out my project. When I got to the pomegranate tree, I almost had a heart attack. There on the ground lay a person.

"Hades!" I gasped, startled, putting my hand to my heart. "You almost frightened me to death." He looked up at me and I noticed, with no small embarrassment, his complete lack of clothing. "Stay right here," I murmured, looking away. "I'll get you something to wear." I ran inside and then stopped abruptly. I didn't know where Hades' room was, and I couldn't have him wear one of my dresses. That would just look ridiculous. I snorted as I pictured it.

An undead servant turned a corner and headed towards me. Breathing out a sigh of relief, I called out to him.

"Excuse me!" I said, making the poor servant jump out of his skin in surprise. "Where is Lord Hades' bedchamber?"

The servant beckoned me to follow and then led me to an unobtrusive door that I had never noticed before close to my chambers. He pointed to it, and scurried away. I opened the door and found myself in a room not unlike my own. It was large and roomy, with tapestries lining the walls and, I was thankful to see, a wardrobe against the wall.

I threw open the doors of the wardrobe and found a pair of loose black trousers and a sleeveless black shirt. It would have to do. I rushed back outside to find Hades where I had left him. I tossed the bundle of clothing at him, my head kept turned away as he put them on. It was a slow process, as I could tell by the sounds, but he finally managed to get decent.

I turned and took a good look at him and noticed that his hair was uneven and shorter than it was before. Most of his skin had an odd texture, like melted glass or- _or a burn,_ I realized. I bent down next to him and saw that he had a long, deep cut across his cheek that was starting to bruise. What had happened to him?

"You should probably get that washed out. It might get infected," I remarked.

He didn't respond, so I forced myself to take him by the arm and lead him to the well that stood in the middle of the garden. He stood like a rock while I wetted a handkerchief and washed the dried and fresh ichor from his wound.

"How did this happen anyway?" I asked. "I've never seen a wounded god before."

He looked down at me and seemed to notice me for the first time. He stared at me; I saw a wild look I had never seen within his eyes before. I felt a spike of panic at the animal mein. His hand snapped forward and grabbed my arm in an unyielding grip, making me cry out in alarm. That, of all things, seemed to calm him somewhat.

"Is it over?" He asked in a low, intense voice.

I didn't know what he was talking about, so I just nodded jerkily. Hades crumpled to his knees in front of me.

"Oh, thank Eos," he choked out again and again, clutching his head in his hands.

I stood where I was for a long while, hatred and charity warring within me. Compassion eventually got the better of me and I knelt down beside him. I wrapped my arms around his head and shoulders and cradled him against my chest.

What was I doing? This was the man who was ruining my life. Why-why help him? I couldn't answer that question, but neither could I move.

It didn't take him too long to recover some of his composure, and, once he did, he got to his feet, helped me up, and quietly excused himself to go get some rest, leaving me staring after with a wrinkled forehead.

What was that?

I don't think I had ever seen Hades that terrified. In fact, before this moment, I couldn't have even imagined Hades afraid of anything. What was so awful that it made an immortal god tremble with fear?

And why in the world had he been naked?

I stood for a while, trying to remember what I had been doing beforehand. Oh, yes. The garden. I turned back to it and did my best to put my entire attention on it.


	23. Chapter 21: Hades

I sat heavily on the edge of my bed and fell backwards into it. It felt amazingly soft and comfortable under my abused back and I let myself just breathe for a few moments, enjoying what I had grown to take for granted. My stomach gave a painful twist, and I abruptly remembered my hunger. I ordered food and wine to be brought immediately and ate it ravenously when it came.

From what I could make out, I had been gone for almost an entire day. One day full of tortures that would have killed any mortal.

I could only allow myself another day to recover before getting back to my usual work, I decided. I slept through it, mostly. At first there was nothing but nightmares, but luckily I always kept a vase of Narcissus, the same kind of flower I used to ensnare Persephone, by my bedside. After waking from the first nightmare of fire and darkness, I snatched a flower out of the vase and brought it to my nose, letting it put me into a dreamless sleep. Though I was immune to its irresistible charm, it still had the power to put me to sleep.

I got up several hours later, changed into a fresh pair of clothes, and left. I needed to get back to work, but there was someone I wanted to see first and that would mean another trip to the world above since I doubted I could get Aphrodite to come down to the Underworld to see me. I saddled up my horse and rode him out rather than taking my chariot. I wanted to speak to Charon before I went, so I might as well go through that exit.

As I went, I tried not to think about the things the Furies had said, though the same things had been in the back of my mind for a long time now.

Had my mother really...

I would probably never know, so it was better to not even ask. In all actuality, my mother was away in exile somewhere. When Zeus had taken the throne, he had imprisoned all of the Titans in Tartarus, all expect Prometheus, because he had sided with us during the war (though Zeus did chain him to a rock later,) and Rhea, who he banished to some island. I hadn't seen her since.

Thoughts of my torture led me, naturally, to what happened afterwards. I had always known that Persephone was capable of great kindness, but I had never been the recipient of it before. Perhaps, _perhaps_ , if she could overcome her dislike of me enough to comfort me, maybe this could actually work out somehow. If she didn't die first.

The thought weighed heavy on my heart, but I couldn't allow such a dire future crush me into inaction. A way for her survival may yet be found.

I came out of my thoughts while riding alongside the River Styx, and in fact, I was almost to Cerberus. I cracked my whip so that Cerberus would know that I was there. I hated when he jumped out at me, and so I trained him to stay away at the sound of the whip.

As I came up to him, he was indeed cowering away from me. He let out a whimper. Annoyance flared up in me, and I lashed my whip at his paw. It left behind a trail of open flesh.

" _All you have in your heart is selfish cruelty."_

" _I should have known better than to expect mercy from selfish beast like you."_

Unbidden, memories of Alecto and Persephone's words came to my mind. Cruel. Beast. Selfish. Yes, that's what I was. A monster with a heart of stone. I wasn't worth loving, not the way I was. Was it even possible to change, though?

I knew the answer immediately. For Persephone, I could do anything. I already went through hell for her. After that, what was left? Besides, if I expected her to change, then it was only fair to expect the same thing from myself.

I steered my horse closer to the hound and gave Cerberus a tentative pat on the head before continuing on to the river bank. I waited for Charon bring his boat, full of spirits, to my side of the water. I counted the souls as they disembarked, my brow furrowed over the unusually high number.

"Charon!" I called to the boatman. He flinched at the sound and got out of his vessel, bowing to me over and over again as he came over.

"Charon, that's a lot of souls," I said, slightly concerned.

"Yes, my Lord, and more waiting on the other side," he answered in his usual muttering voice. "So many. So long."

"So long? So it's been like this for a while now?"

"Yes, yes. My poor back. Never gets rested. Never stops, they keep coming. More and more..."

He kept rambling like this to himself, but I had heard enough. I examined the spirits and noticed one middle-aged man.

"You there!" I called, pointing. Several spirits turned, including the man. He seemed startled to see my finger pointed right at him.

"Me, sir?" He said, bewildered.

"Yes, you. Do you know why there are so many people dying?"

"It's gotten so cold, sir. The food's stopped agrowin'. We's barely had anything to live offa. It's the gods that's done it, beggin' your pardon, sir."

"What gods?"

"The plantin' one. Demeter, sir. The priests' sayin' it's coz her daughter's gone. They says it were the cur in charge of the Underworld, sir, that tooks her."

"Thank you." The man nodded and went on his way. "Wait!" I called. He jogged back and said, "Sir?"

"When you get to the judges, tell them that you are to go to Elysium. If they try to stop you, tell them Hades commands it."

"You're Had-? But sir, er, your Lordship, I-called you a cur, beggin' your pardon, right to your face, beggin' your pardon, sir."

"I deserve it, believe me. And anyway, you amuse me. There's not... many who can do that." I looked down at his disbelieving face and felt another wave of amusement. That prompted me to say, in a brusque voice, "Don't ask so many questions."

"Yes, sir. Thank you, sir!" He exclaimed, looking baffled. He walked away, glancing at me once in awhile over his shoulder to see if I would change my mind.

I chuckled at him after he was out of view. Mercy, that felt good. I forgot how much weight laughing can take off.

"...dark place. No light ever. Except the girl. She had light, like the Spring..."

I had forgotten about Charon. He stood by his boat, chewing on his mustache and wringing his hands nervously. I walked my horse up to him and he quickly stopped muttering to himself.

"You disobeyed the law, Charon, and you disobeyed an express command. I told you when she first came here that you were not to let her out, and yet you did. Why?" I demanded.

"Sh-she was kind, my Lord. She didn't yell at me. She was like the Sun." He tugged on his knotted beard with his knotted hand, cringing beneath my glare.

"This isn't the first time you've done this, Charon, and if you do it again, there will be severe consequences." Charon flinched, anticipating my fist. "Luckily for you, I paid the price this time around, but next time it will be you who suffers. Do you understand?" Charon looked confused at my sudden mercy. He reluctantly nodded his wispy head. "Back to your duties then and remember. But first, I wish to go across the river."

Charon nodded and moved aside so that my horse could step into the boat. As we went, I thought about what that mortal had told me. Demeter was angry about me stealing Persephone, no doubt. If I went into the open, I would be spotted within minutes and my presence would be known by nearly everyone. It would be wisest to use my Helm of Darkness to mask my movements and that didn't bother me in the least.

The boat hit the bank and I noticed that Charon was right: there were a lot of souls, much more than usual. It mattered little to me whether or not the other gods decided to kill all the mortals, since living ones did me little good as it was, so I just put on my Helm and went up the tunnel, smug that I had given the job of judging to others.

The Earth looked more dead than the last time I had been up here. The leaves were gone entirely from the trees and a bone chilling wind shook the bare branches. Though I wished for a cloak, the cold didn't bother me enough to deter me. I spurred the horse into a gallop and we all but flew towards Olympus, where Aphrodite lived. The temple that she chose to spend her time in was nearer the base of the mountain, which was as green and fertile as it ever was, despite the cold in the valley below.

I strode straight through the front doors without removing my Helm. I preferred to see if Aphrodite was even here before revealing myself. She was and, as usual, was surrounded by a entourage. Not wanting anyone else to know I was here, I stalked up to Aphrodite until I was right behind her.

"Tell everyone to leave," I whispered in her ear. She gave no sign she had heard me, but a few moments later, she said,

"I've grown tired. I am going to retire to my chambers and I wish to be left alone."

With that, she left the room and I couldn't help but admire the way she did. When Aphrodite made an exit, she made an exit, swaying as she walked in such a way that left jaws on the floor.

I presumed that I was meant to follow her and so I did. We came to her chamber and she went inside, with me coming in soon after her, and locked the door behind her.

"There. What did you want to talk to me about?" She turned to me (I had taken off my Helm and was now visible,) smiling suggestively, but blanched when she saw me. "Mother Gaia, Hades! What happened to you?"

There were enough mirrors in her room that I didn't have to ask what she meant. My skin still wasn't fully healed, my hair was ragged, and my clothes, though clean, were ones I usually wore while working and therefore were terribly ratty. Since I always came to Olympus well groomed, I wasn't surprised by her reaction. She, obviously, appreciated things of beauty and though I wasn't necessarily considered the most handsome of the gods, I was generally presentable enough not to offend her sensibilities.

"Oh, I got into a sticky situation because of a girl," I said airly. Aphrodite smiled knowingly.

"Ah, yes. I had heard that you had decided to settle down," she gloated and her sky blue eyes burned with triumphant. "I thought that Kore might be the right one for you and I was right. I can see souls that were meant to be together like that!" She snapped her fingers together.

Something about her phrasing stopped me from saying what I had planned. "Wait," I said instead, "you caused this?"

She laughed a tinkling laugh. "Of course, love! I didn't see either of you falling for anyone else anytime soon, so I took matters into my own capable hands."

I was completely stunned. Of all the things I thought I would hear Aphrodite say, this hadn't been one of them.

"So-so it was all a lie?" I felt lightheaded and nauseous.

"No, no, of course not! I am the goddess of all love, including true love. When I have Eros shoot someone with an arrow of love, it is as real as if that person had decided to do so themselves. Love, the beginning of it anyway, is entirely a matter of chance. I got you started; anything that happened after that was you."

Aphrodite was close to me again, as she usually was, but she was more sincere than I had ever seen her, which left me wondering how big of a lie she was telling right now. She sighed (a perfectly heartbreaking sigh, of course.)

"Hades, you love her, don't you?"

"Yes." The answer came without hesitation.

"Then what does it matter where that love came from?"

She had a point, I had to admit, so I pushed down my objections for now and asked the question I had come to have answered.

"How do I get her to love me?"

"Tell me first what you have tried."

I told her about everything: the visits, the gifts, and finally her disastrous escape attempt. She listened with rapt interest, clucking her tongue at my awkward outreaches and gasping in all the right places of the story of Persephone's escape and rescue. In the end, she gave me another one of her dazzling smiles.

"Oh, Hades. Isn't it obvious? You've almost suffocated her with attention, so tone it down now. Give her room to breathe, to think, to realize that she misses you. If you wanted, you could go so far was to remove her from any human contact whatsoever, but that might be a bit extreme."

I shifted uncomfortably. "I suppose I could…."

She gave me an understanding look. "It's hard for the heart to be away from what it longs for most, is it not?" I looked away and nodded. "I cannot send my son into the Underworld to pierce her heart in a similar way, but I can give you some of the elixir he uses for his love arrows, if you wish."

It was a tempting idea. It would put an end to this whole affair, which was more tortuous and was taking more time than I had anticipated at the beginning. _But,_ I reminded myself, _you promised you wouldn't force her to eat the food of the Underworld to make her love you. Is this really much different?_

"Thank you, but I would prefer...other methods."

"If that is what you wish," Aphrodite nodded. She turned away from me and lounged on one of the nearby couches in a way that would have driven any unattached (and many attached) men mad. "May I tell you a secret?" She asked in low voice.

"Please."

"Kore...no. That's not the place to start," she said almost to herself. Then, louder, "Do you believe in soulmates? That each person has only one other person that is made for them?"

"I haven't really ever considered it," I shrugged. I thought a moment more. "No, in my experience, they don't exist."

"Well, in my experience they do," she mocked me. Then, in a more serious voice, "While my love arrows can create love out of nothing and even out of hatred, they are strongest when they find those that are, quote unquote, soulmates. And I can tell. I know when two people are meant to be together. I saw you and Kore-excuse me, you called her Persephone?-together at the feast and the potential for love that was in your eyes was also in hers. From what you have told me, it doesn't sound like her potential is completely gone." She beckoned to me and took my hand as I came closer. "There's still hope, Hades. Don't give up too soon."

Her words rang through my head as I left her temple. How much I believed her, I wasn't sure, but I decided I would follow her advice, at least. Persephone wouldn't be seeing much of me. For now.


	24. Chapter 22: Persephone

I found a small shed full of neglected tools. A few of them were rusting, but most were in good enough shape. It was an easy matter to make them usable again.

I spent the rest of the day trimming branches, pulling weeds, watering flowers, and feeding the soil. Not a soul-living, dead, or immortal- disturbed me as I did this. It surprised me, but I welcomed the change from Hades' constant, unwanted presence. I put all my focus and effort into the garden.

Using my powers, it would have only taken a moment to wave a hand and all the plants would have sprung up, fully grown and thriving. I had never liked working that way, however. It felt like cheating and I didn't feel the same sense of satisfaction and accomplishment that usually came. So, I worked by hand.

By the time the day was over, I was covered from head to toe in dirt, my hair was coming loose of the braid I had put it in, and my cheeks were flushed, but I was happier than I had been for days. The only real downside to it all was the way my stomach was constricting and my throat burned from thirst.

 _Would it really be such an awful thing,_ I tried to reason with myself, _if I took one sip of water?_ The thought of the cool water running down my throat weakened my resolve. I hadn't had water for so long…. I actually started to reach out my hand toward the water barrel. _No!_ I came to my senses abruptly. I could not do this no matter what. If I gave in, that would mean he had won, and I couldn't bring myself to let him win, not yet. Besides, I still didn't trust him, not completely anyway. Why was he so insistent that I eat when he knew I was immortal? I found it suspicious. Again, as it had so many times before, Mother's warning to never eat food from a stranger came into my mind.

 _I will do as you say, Mother. I didn't listen to you before, and now look what's happened to me._ Tears began to fall from my eyes as I thought, with bitter regret, about my ignorant insistence to defy my mother. _I wouldn't be here if I had just done as you said._

I hurried to my rooms to get some sleep and to distract myself from thinking about food or what could have been.

Sleep brought no reprieve. Nightmares crawled in from the darkest parts of my mind and tormented my dreams. I awoke from one, covered in sweat and gasping for air. I had dreamed that I was being burned alive, alone in the dark, but surrounded by wicked laughter. The pain had been so vivid, I had thought it was real. The dreams became so terrifying, it was more draining to sleep than to stay awake, so I tried to lay there without sleeping, but my own, undistracted thoughts provided the waking nightmares for me. I could hear, over and over again, the howls of the Furies and see their hellish faces leering at me.

Somehow, amid my agitated tossing and turning, I saw the necklace Hades had given me and I remember what he had said about it bringing the wearer peace. I didn't really place any trust in his words, but I was desperate for anything that even _might_ work. Besides, hadn't I worn it once before? Nothing dreadful had happened then, so I gave it a try now.

It very well could have been my own mind convincing me that I felt more at peace, but whatever it was, there was a difference. It was small, to be sure, but it helped.

Even so, my newfound serenity couldn't stop my already slim frame from starting to become almost skeletal as the days went by. My eyes became hollow and dark and my hair began to lose it shine. My skin was so pale, I often fancied that I was slowly becoming a ghost. I lived among them, so I was already halfway there.

I spent the majority of my time in the garden (which also gave me comfort,) though I was careful to keep myself from thinking about drinking the water. The work helped distract me from that, as well as from my agonizing thoughts.

As I worked, the small plot of land transformed from a overgrown maelstrom to a glorious bower. Roses and honeysuckle climbed up a tumbling stone arch, giving it a romantic look. The low wall that ran around the perimeter now had neat rows of strawberries growing next to it. Bluebells, snowdrops, violets, and lavender grew in their own tidy beds. A lilac bush grew in one corner and a pomegranate tree in another in between them was a low stone bench. Up above was a ceiling of jewels, scattering and reflecting light until it was like the stars in the heavens. It truly was a beautiful sight to behold. Those days became some of the happiest that I had spent in the Underworld.


	25. Chapter 23: Hades

I liked to devote a few hours to watch Persephone most days. Oh, I followed Aphrodite's advice and stayed away, but I just-I wished that I could take her in my arms and tell her I would give her the world to make her happy. I wished she would look at me with the same admiration that she had when I first knew her, before I had destroyed what little feelings she might have had for me. I had a feeling, and Aphrodite had confirmed, that, maybe, somehow, we could eventually be happy together, and I wished that we were there now. I didn't even know, however, if that day would ever come, so in the meantime, I just watched.

Persephone would be upset if she caught me, I knew, so I would put on my Helm of Darkness and gaze at her to my heart's content.

She was happy. Or, at least, I hoped she was. I suppose that it could have been described as more of a determined not-sadness. She did smile, however, once. She smiled as she pruned the pomegranate tree. It was the only plant in the whole garden that had been doing well before, and now it was flourishing, thanks to Persephone's efforts, even to the point that it began producing fruit.

At first I was worried that I had made the wrong choice in showing her this place. I was afraid that it would make her homesick and try to escape again. I wasn't sure that she would survive if she did. However, I soon realized that my fears were unfounded. It wasn't that she said or acted any different that lead to my realization, it was because she _looked_ different.

The Underworld has a strange effect on people's physical appearance sometimes. I, for instance, had much paler skin than before, unnaturally pale really, I had gotten taller and leaner, my eyes had become much darker, and I suddenly had a remarkably good glare. For Persephone, I had noticed a few things: she had a taller, more stately appearance, not quite so girlish; she was losing her lost, awkward air, her voice had a lower pitch, and, more strikingly, her hair was darkening. It had faded from the shining gold to a rich chestnut. I was fascinated to see if it would get darker, or if anything else would happen.

I suppose that I didn't really explain why I found her physical changes a positive sign. I have observed over the years that the people that change the most are the ones that have started to accept their role in the Underworld. Persephone may be fighting against and refusing to acknowledge it, but she was starting to look at the Underworld as her home. It hopefully wouldn't be too long before the change was complete.

She was also, I noticed one day, wearing the necklace I had given her. Sometimes, as she would pause in her work, she would finger the chain absentmindedly.

I will admit that the pomegranate tree being in the garden was not by accident. I quickly saw that she was not going to eat anything that I or Aspasia offered her. I hoped that she would trust the work of her own hands and perhaps eat some of the fruit. Throughout the days that I watched her, she never did.

Once, however, she did pick up one of the fruits and held it to her nose, breathing in the scent, as if she were imagining how it might taste. My heartbeat quickened for a moment, but she placed it down with a sigh. She had a stronger will than I had thought.

Not strong enough, however. One day, I noticed her swaying on her feet under the pomegranate tree, then she fainted. I immediately threw off my Helm and rushed to her side.


	26. Chapter 24: Persephone

I felt a prickling sensation at the back of my eyes, then blackness began to creep around the edges of my vision. I shook my head to be rid of it, but that only made it worse. I tried to take a step towards a bench that was in the garden, but before I could, the ground rose to meet me as I fainted.

When I awoke, I was being held in Hades' arms, which was the first time we had interacted since I had found him in the garden before. He saw my eyes open.

"Persephone, how do you feel?" His voice was full of concern as he gently moved my hair from my face.

"I'm fine," I said, rising to my feet. Hades' tried to help me, but I brushed him off. "Leave me! I'll be fine."

"Persephone, you're not well. Please, let me get you some water, food…?"

I looked at him suspiciously. "Why do you want me to eat?"

He looked taken aback. "What?"

"You always want me to eat and I want to know why."

"I just... I mean, all I want…"

My knees gave out from under me and Hades reached out to catch me.

"No!" I pushed him away. "Just leave me be." I stumbled to the bench and laid my head back with my eyes close. I didn't hear anything for a few moments, then I heard the sound of footsteps walking away.

" _Change what you have control over,"_ Aspasia had said.

 _You can't control him,_ a small voice in my head whispered, _but you can control yourself. If you're going to change, you're going to need to start with the real problem: Hades._

 _And besides, he is trying to be kind to you._

I was right. I opened my eyes with an effort and called out, "Hades!" He stopped. I sucked in a breath of air through my teeth, thinking of what I could possibly say. "I-I am sorry. I know that you were just trying to help." I hesitated. "Thank you."

A hint of a smile came to his face and I realized just how little I had seen him smile. It changed his face, smoothing out many of the harsh lines around his mouth.

"I never thanked you for helping me earlier," he remarked. "I'm afraid that I wasn't at my best then, so I apologize for that, but I thank you."

I blushed, remembering how I had held him and perhaps he remembered as well, because his smile, while still soft, widened slightly. Despite his benign mood, I didn't dare just yet to ask Hades what had happened to him. The peace we had at the moment was so fragile, the smallest whisper of trouble would shatter it, so I let it be.

"It was nothing," I muttered.

Hades gave me a peculiar look. "Kindness is always worth something, even when it may seem nothing to the giver," he said seriously.

I didn't know how to respond to that. We both looked away from each other, almost bashfully.

Suddenly, Hades began to chuckle. I gave him an inquiring look.

"I was just thinking how many of the gods would be surprised to hear the Terrible Hades thanking someone."

I remembered how much fear had always been in anyone's voice that mentioned Hades and I realized he was right. I could just imagine the look on my mother's or my nurse's face if they could see him like this. Or in almost any of the moods I had seen him. I began laughing as well.

We both continued to laugh, just because it felt good. I trailed off as another wave of dizziness came over me. Hades knelt down beside me and took my hand in his, his face creased with concern.

"Maybe you had better rest for a while now," he suggested kindly. I was too tired to argue, so I let him help me up and lead me to my room. I was more grateful than I thought I would be for his strong arm to lean against as I walked. Something about it felt right. The feeling confused me, but I was too tired and hungry to try to figure out what it meant.

Halfway to my room, I collapsed again. In a moment, Hades had me in his arms and carried me the rest of the way. I let him without protest.

"You know I hate you?" I murmured, only half aware of what I was saying. "More than I've hated anyone else before."

I turned my face into his shoulder and closed my eyes, breathing in his scent.

"I know," I heard him say quietly.

He laid me down on my bed and I fell into a better sleep than I had known for a while, though it was still littered with nightmares. The dark creatures who had pursued me before where always on the edges of my dreams. Strangely enough, the only thing that kept them from destroying me completely was a tall figure on a dark horse.

When I woke up, I didn't feel as faint any more, but if I didn't get food soon, I would be in trouble. I got to my feet slowly, then began working on the garden again. Gardening would help me more than sleeping, with those phantoms that haunted me, would.

Though I did spend a great deal of time in the garden, I also visited Cerberus once in awhile on the days that I felt particularly strong. The monster dog turned into a puppy when I was around. He would bound back and forth, wagging his sleek tail, yapping at me until I scratched and petted each of his heads.

He became my confidant. I could almost believe that he could understand what I was saying. He would look at me with his doleful, watery eyes when I would cry, growl when I was angry, and whimper when I left. I never thought that any animal, especially a dog, could bring me as much comfort as he did.

Something started to nag at my conscious every time I played with Cerberus, though.

Charon.

I now realized that I had probably gotten him into trouble by convincing him to let me leave. Not only that, but also the look in his eyes when I talked to him. It was as if I had reminded him of something he longed for that he no longer had.

Deciding that it would do no harm if I just talked to him, I gathered my courage and went to see Charon.

I wasn't afraid of Charon. He seemed like a nice man, if a bit strange. No, it was the memories of that disastrous journey that made my step hesitant as I walked the stony banks of Styx once again.

This time, I didn't have to wait for him to cross; he was already on my side of the river, letting off a large number of deceased. I kept my distance from the pale creatures. Even though I had gotten more used to them over the weeks, I wasn't fully comfortable interacting with them. The few times I had, the ghost had all believed they were still alive. I didn't have the heart to correct them, so I just avoided the lot.

Charon saw me approaching and tried to get back into his boat and push off before I could reach him, but I was too fast for the aged man. I rushed up to the large boat and stepped in. Charon regarded me with confused disbelief. He took his long pole that he used to propel his craft and carefully poked my ankle with the end, as though I were some bird that had accidentally alighted on his boat, and he wanted to get me to leave without scaring me.

I smiled at him as nicely as I could, pretending not to have noticed his prodding. He seemed momentarily stunned by my smile, so I toned it down to a more mild level.

He ducked his head down, as though refusing to be taken in by me again. "...not allowed," he muttered to his toes.

"I'm sorry, Charon, what was that?" I asked sweetly.

"You're not allowed. I need to transfer souls across, but not you. The Master…" he trailed off with a gulp.

"Don't worry, I don't want you to take me across," I assured him.

He looked up me sharply, his eyes suspicious. He gave me another poke with his stick, which I took to mean "Then why are you here?"

I stifled a laugh at his peculiar actions and answered his silent inquiry. "I just wanted to say that I am sorry for causing you so much trouble before. It was very thoughtless of me, and I won't be doing it again."

He squinted his wrinkled eyes at me, and I was sure he didn't believe me. "Your hair is different," was his surprising observation. "Brown, not gold."

I frowned at the reminder. "It's the lighting," I dismissed his comment with a wave of my hand.

"Same lighting," he muttered, shuffling back and forth.

"So it is," I said cheerily, as though I had just noticed. "Anyway, I should let you continue with your work. And, I'm sorry again for anything he might have done to you because of my actions."

I climbed out of the boat and waved a farewell to him.

As I walked away, I heard Charon murmur something about punishment. I turned back with a smile. "What was that?"

Charon frowned at me, but said in a slightly clearer voice. "I wasn't punished. He said next time. He took it, but not again." He began to push off from the shore.

I furrowed my brow, trying to sort through those confusing statements. "Hades didn't punish you?" Was all I could get. He didn't answer, but just kept rowing away. I called out again and got no response, so I gave up and went back to work in my garden.


	27. Chapter 25: Hades

" _Hades, no!"_

 _The cry ripped the air, through the sounds of battle, through the moans and retching, through the sickening thud of metal slicing through skin._

 _My hands tightened their hold around the neck of my father, as though I hadn't heard the plea of my sister, but I didn't deal the final blow._

 _Yet._

 _Power, invisible to the naked eye but still tangible to all around, swelled within me, seeking an outlet. It was only held back by my will, and only by a hair._

" _Hades, think of what you are doing." She was beside me now, and her voice was soft. So soft that only my ears could hear it. Her hands were over mine, despite the cries of warning from several quarters._

" _Hestia, don't be a fool!" Screamed Aphrodite. Despite the cyclops' enormous hand around her own throat, the frenzied goddess recognized that Hestia, small and timid Hestia, was in greater danger than them all._

 _Hestia ignored them all and focused only on me. My breath was heavy and strained, and my eyes were wild._

" _There was a time," she whispered, "it seems an age ago. There was a time when your young, blue eyes looked innocently at the world for the first time. They had hope and joy and excitement. And sorrow. A long sorrow. All that is gone now. It's been suffocated slowly by the long, exhausting pain of this eternal war. Don't do it, Hades. Don't kill him, or else none of that joy will ever return to you."_

" _I must do it, Hestia. I must." My choked words were no more than a whisper, but had the energy of a thousand cries._

" _No, not here. We must preserve justice, even if we never feel it ourselves. He will face justice, and then you might be called upon. Wait but till then."_

 _I could feel the force of the god-power I had called upon, could feel it pushing against all resistance, ready to burst. Even my considerable determination would not hold it back for long._

 _My hands tightened again, about to give in and release._

" _You will regret this moment until the earth burns." Hestia's voice was suddenly clear and ringing. The prophecy struck me to the core, like none of her pleadings had._

 _With a strangled cry, I ripped his hands from Kronos' throat and grabbed a fleeing titan. The titan's dying shriek filled the air as its flesh was torn from its body by the mighty surge of power that emanated from me, and its very bones were crushed into powder._

 _It was completely and immutably dead._

 _The silence of fear fell on the battlefield. I stood, covered in ichor-both my own and the demolished titan's-and gasping for breath, before all the astonished gods. I didn't see their horror, only the fear of the other titans as they either surrendered or tried to run. The end of the seemingly eternal war had come._

 _I laughed in triumph, savoring the sudden release, the freedom that came from victory over tyranny. I turned to the other gods now, expecting grins to meet my own. I saw only disgust, shock, and terror._

 _The smile slowly fell from my' face, and I looked towards Hestia, my oldest and most dear sister. It was she who I had come to know best in our long years of isolation. She knew more solitude than I, since she had been alone for many long years before I was born. And then it had only been the two of us, together for ages before any others had come. It was she who knew and loved me best, and now she too had a look of abhorrence._

That look had cut me deeper than even the betrayal I suffered at the hands of the other gods, and that is when I first saw myself as the others saw me: a monster.

The same power I had used to slaughter titans had now been used against my very wife, without a second thought.

And that is when I first knew they were right.


	28. Chapter 26: Persephone

With my working so hard, it didn't take long to complete my project. I was actually surprised the day I realized that all the work was done. I took a step back and admired it. It was almost as beautiful as my home had been. All that was missing was the sun and a fresh breeze and- _no_ , I told myself sternly. Such thoughts only led to tears, and I didn't want to chance that Hades would see me. Even though we were on better terms than we had been, I felt uncomfortable showing that much emotion in front of him. Since I had fainted, I had caught a few glimpses of him, but he had kept his distance.

As I inspected the garden, Hades walked up behind me. His footsteps were tentative as he approached. He didn't say anything. He just...stared. I could sense him there, but I continued to admire my creation.

It was time to confront Hades. I was no longer bitter about what he had done, but I needed to have an honest talk with him about the future.

I squared my shoulders and turned towards Hades, the beginning of my speech on my lips. I stopped, my mouth still half open, when I noticed, with surprise, the tears in his eyes. All of my strong words flew from my mind, leaving me speechless. I shut my mouth with a snap.

I remembered what Aspasia had said several days ago about Hades being betrayed down here and felt a rush of sympathy. If that were true, he must have suffered a lot of pain, having to live here day after day, year after year, millennia after millennia.

"I'm sorry," Hades said, laughing slightly through his tears. "It just reminds me of my mother."

That blew me completely away. Of all the things I thought Hades might say, this wasn't one of them. I didn't know how to reply. "I was also thinking about my mother. Strawberries are her favorite," It was the first thing that came to my head. I winced slightly at the lie. I actually had no idea what Mother's favorite food was. I hoped that Hades knew nothing about his sister.

There was a long pause. Hades seemed hesitant to speak, to break the silence. "Tell me about her," he said finally.

"Surely you know a lot about her. She is your sister, after all," I said cautiously.

"It's not exactly like we talk everyday," Hades said with a snort. "Besides, I want to hear about her from your point of view."

I had relaxed at the confirmation that my lie wouldn't be discovered, but tensed up again at the thought of having to tell about my childhood. This was not a discussion I wanted to have right now. I wanted to discuss the future, not dwell in the past. Thrown off, I collected my thoughts. The truth would be easiest to tell at short notice, unfortunately. I kept my voice as void of emotion as I possibly could as I told my narrative.

"I grew up in the forest, raised by Nymphs. I didn't see Zeus much. He's my father, you know. Mother says that he rarely bothers to help raise his children." I went quiet for a moment, but a slight cough from Hades brought me back to the present. "Anyway, I saw my mother often, but she was also busy with her duties as a goddess. She made sure that I was taught everything a woman should know: dancing, singing, the running of a household, being a good wife. It was a pleasant life, perhaps a bit dull, but pleasant. I had a, well, a rather awful temper growing up. My mother and I would get into many arguments. It just got worse as I got older. She always won, of course. Actually, that day when you…" I stopped awkwardly and then continued, deliberately not looking at Hades as I rushed over my words, "That day when we...talked, I had been, ah, arguing with my mother. I wanted to-," I blushed as deep as a red rose. The subject of that argument was the very last thing I wanted to discuss with Hades, "Well, it doesn't matter what I wanted. The point is, _she_ didn't approve. She never did. I always knew that it would be easier to be what she wanted me to be than to defy her, and so I did," I finished lamely.

I realized that I had, in fact, wanted to talk to someone about this. It felt...good to finally explain this. Hades listened to me, actually listened. No one had ever done that for me. Mother always had the attitude that what she said went, and it didn't matter what I wanted. I felt contented here, and for once I didn't push the feeling away. It hit me, for perhaps the first time, that Hades was my husband.

I shook my head, coming out of my thoughts. "But what about your mother? You must miss her."

There was a long silence. I was afraid that I had brought up a tender subject, then remembered that it was he who had brought it up anyway.

"I hated her," he said simply.

I turned towards him, confused. Hades hadn't said it in anger or hurt, but more as if it were a simple statement of fact.

"She didn't care about me," he explained. He tried and failed to make his voice indifferent. "I was her firstborn child, and she allowed me to be swallowed whole as a baby by my own father. She could have saved me. She could have saved all of us, but she saved Zeus." He put his hands in his pockets and gave a bitter laugh, kicking at the stones with the toe of his boot. "He's always been everyone's favorite. I guess that's why he's king and I'm stuck down here. Though why they chose that pompous, featherbrained, double-crossing, idiotic twit is beyond me."

"He's not _that_ bad," I found myself saying. Hades looked at me in unmasked disbelief. I had no idea why I was saying it, but I didn't recant. Instead, I rushed to clarify, to myself as well as Hades. "I mean, of course he can be a bit distant and have a short temper, but he's always been kind father to me and he's a fair, if not good, ruler. You can't just judge a person based off of one thing like that." I couldn't keep a note of accusation out of my voice in the last sentence, which caused Hades' eyes to widen in anger.

He opened and closed his mouth, trying to find something to say. Finally, he spluttered out, " _I can't judge him!_ He-!" Hades looked away and took a deep breath. "If I _am_ judging him based off of one thing, I have every right to. You don't know what he's done to me. He-he turned everyone against me!"

I remembered my nurse telling me the story of Hades' banishment and Zeus' ascension to the throne. Suddenly, something clicked in my mind.

"I understand now," I breathed in a moment of inspiration. Hades looked over at me, slightly irritated, but mostly questioning. "You're just jealous! Jealous that everyone liked Zeus better than you. That's why you're down here. Not because there was some betrayal, but because everyone wanted him for King instead of you! You were so angry over it, that you banished yourself to the Underworld, then acted like it was all his fault. Here I was, starting to feel sorry for you, and the whole time, it was your own fault!"

All the overwrought emotion was gone from Hades' voice when he answered me, leaving it cold and impersonal. "What do you know about it? You, who has hardly lived more than half a millenia, who has never been further away than a few leagues from your home, who has never even spoke to more than a handful of people in your life? What do you know of the past? What do you know of betrayal? You can't truly begin to understand it until you have felt love. Who have you loved, Persephone? Your mother? I don't think so, not after the way she's treated you."

I tried to interrupt him, to defy his words, but he said harshly,

"No! You've said what you wanted and now I will." The terrible fire in his eyes burned the words from my lips and I listened, mutely, to his accusations.

He continued, "You've loved no servant, I'm sure; you're too high and mighty for that. And you've never loved me, that's for certain. You think I'm heartless and you call me cruel. If I am without a heart, it's because I've given it to too many people who have betrayed it. If I am cruel, it is because Fate has been so to me. So, don't show your ignorance with hasty words," he finished with a derisive sneer.

I clenched my teeth and balled my hands into fists. "How can you say I don't love my mother? How dare you! Of course I love her."

"Could you truly say, right now, that you miss her? I don't mean the world above, or Spring, or your home, or anything that you knew before, I mean your mother, alone. Would you live with her down here without those things, or would you leave her behind, never to see her again, if given the choice?"

"That's not a fair question-" I faltered.

"It's simple enough. What would you choose?"

His question brought up a dreadful dilemma in my mind. Which one _would_ I choose?

But I knew, deep down what the answer was. I couldn't hide it from myself and Hades could see it.

"That's what I thought." He turned and left, leaving me feel angry and embarrassed and empty.

Could he be right? Had I really never loved _anyone_ in my life? I considered the way I viewed my mother; she was who I depended on for everything, and yet, at the same time, she was like a jailor to me, hiding me from the world and keeping me constantly in a state of forced ignorance.

 _Oh gods,_ I thought in despair, sinking to the ground and covering my face with my hands. _Am I truly incapable of love?_ I could feel something though, in my heart. It was hot and red and I could feel it pounding in my veins.

It wasn't love that I felt in that moment, for certain. No, it was hatred. Hatred towards Hades for doing this to me, for making me confront the emptiness of my life in such a harsh way. Perhaps I didn't have love and perhaps I hadn't been happy before, but at least I had my woods and my music. What did I have now, but a sham of a marriage and a handful of scraggly plants?

I jumped to my feet, feeling the rage grow almost uncontrollable inside of me.

"What are you to me?" I screamed at the small, pathetic garden. I grabbed at the first plants within my reach, the bluebells, and tore them from the ground and stamped on them.

"What have you ever done for me?" Down came the fragile honeysuckles.

"I work and I work, and nothing ever comes of it!" The roses were next and the thorns stabbed into my palms, but I welcomed the sharp pain. The strawberries, snowdrops, violets, and lavender followed their fellows. The lilac bush and pomegranate tree were too strong to tear down like I wanted, but I kicked the bench over and knocked as many of the stones from the wall as would come loose.

After about five minutes of this wanton destruction, my breathing slowed. My hatred turned to despair as quickly has it had flared up, leaving nothing but pain where the burning fire had been. My strength dropped alarmingly as I noticed that the plants were withering already. I must have used my god power without realizing it and I once more fell to the ground. I wanted to simply disappear in that moment, but what was left of my will dragged me to my feet and forced my legs to take me to my room.

"Aspasia!" I called weakly once there. She didn't respond, nor could I see any sign of her. I needed to speak to her, to tell her what had happened and ask for _some_ sort of advice, so I went searching for her.


	29. Chapter 27: Hades

That was it. I was done with her. Everytime I tried to reach out to her, she just pushed me away. It had seemed like we had finally connected. No, it was all a mistake. I never should have brought her here. Maybe I should just...give her back to Demeter. I grimaced. I could just see it now.

" _So sorry for stealing your daughter, Demeter. No hard feelings I hope! Do you want to get together for a drink sometime?"_

Demeter wouldn't hesitate to kill me. The fact that I was immortal wouldn't phase her, she would just kill me again.

And again.

I was going to need that drink right now.

I went down to the wine cellar to grab myself a bottle. I picked one at random and glanced at the label. It was from the first year that Dionysus made wine, the vintage was the strongest one he had made. Perfect.

I snatched up a dusty corkscrew and glass and sprinted up the stairs, knocking down the descending Aspasia in the process.

"Oh!" Aspasia gave a slight cry as she fell on her backside. I made a clumsy attempt to catch her, but only succeeded in dropping the wine bottle and glass. Both shattered, spraying dark liquid and glass everywhere.

I muttered a curse to myself. I looked down at Aspasia and held out my hand. "I apologize. Can I help you up?"

"Please, don't trouble yourself!" Aspasia said, scrambling to her feet. Her foot slipped on the slick wine and she tumbled into me, knocking us both down.

My head smack against the stone floor with a resounding _smack!_ At the same time, Aspasia's shoulder rammed into my sternum, knocking the wind out of me.

"Oh, my Lord Hades! I am so sorry." She carefully raised herself to her feet. I rolled onto my side, gasping desperately for breath. I couldn't remember the last time I had had the wind knocked out of me. Wheezing, I pushed myself off the ground. I winced when a large shard of glass embedded itself in my palm, and Ichor gushed from the wound. Could this day get any worse?

I plucked the shard from my palm and balled my hand into a fist, the ichor dripping down my wrist. I could feel the skin regrowing on my palm, which reminded me that the wound on my cheek from earlier still refused to close completely.

" _What_ are you doing here?" I said gruffly to Aspasia.

Aspasia lifted up her chin and said with dignity, "The Mistress isn't feeling well and I thought some wine would help, if she will drink it, that is."

I gave a grunt at that. _She_ wasn't feeling well. Ha!

I walked over to the shelves of wine and picked another bottle, along with a glass, scooped up the dropped corkscrew, and left the room. Aspasia grabbed a bottle as well and hurried after me.

I took off my wine splattered jacket, tossed it to the side, and sat down on the throne with a groan. My head felt like Hephaestus had cracked it open with a hammer. A very large hammer.

Aspasia was still there. I opened the bottle and poured myself a glass of wine. I downed it in one gulp, savoring the warm feeling it gave me in the pit of my stomach, and said, pouring another glass full, "What do you want?"

"My Lord, is everything alright? If this has to do with the Mistress, perhaps I can help."

I gave her a wary look over the rim of my glass as I took a sip. How well did I know this woman? I wasn't even sure where she came from. She wasn't an undead, that was certain. Why was she here?

Did it really matter all that much? She seemed trustworthy enough, and I wasn't up to caring.

"I made a mistake in bringing that girl here," I admitted with a sigh, running my fingers through my thick hair. "All that risk, all that arm twisting, and what do I get? A girl who is just like every blasted woman in the world: the form of an angel with the heart of a viper."

"That's too harsh," Aspasia said sternly. I lifted an eyebrow at the unusual tone for soft spoken Aspasia. "She's young, my Lord. She's lived a secluded life away from anyone, especially men. She's scared to death of having to face a new and rather frightening situation. And, if I may say, you haven't done the best job of helping her overcome it."

"What haven't I done for her? I've racked my brains, trying to think of a way to make her happier, to make her at the very least content. I even asked the goddess of love herself for relationship advice and it didn't work. She's resisted everything I've done!"

"Yes, she has," Aspasia confirmed. "My lord, Persephone has felt a lot of pressure from her mother in her past. Her way of dealing with that pressure was to run away so it wouldn't be applied. She feels pressure from you. You expect her to be some perfect woman who will make you happy. It's a lot to deal with, and it's not a burden she asked for in the first place. Back down."

"I _did_ back down," I snapped. "I've tried giving her space, I've tried giving her attention. Nothing has worked, so I don't care what Persephone does any more. She can leave and I won't ever bother her again."

"Hades, you can't do that."

I was surprised that she was so informal as to use my name like that. It only added to my irritation.

I was about to give a stinging retort, when at that moment, Persephone herself walked in, looking more beautiful and more like an illusion than ever. I glared at her over Aspasia's head.

"Aspasia! Where have you been? I've been calling-." She stopped in her tracks as she noticed me. "Oh. It's you." She glared right back at me.

I rose from my throne, wine bottle in hand, looking like a complete mess I am sure, and brushed past Persephone, who now bore a slightly confused look on her face.

"Hades!" Aspasia called after me.

I stalked out of the room without a further glance at either one of them. I went to my private room, where I was sure no meddling females would follow me. Thank the Fates that I hadn't decided to tell Persephone about it.

I whirled around and smashed the half full wine glass into the fireplace, trying to relieve some of my pent up anger. The banked fire flared up. It began to form itself into images.

"None of that!" I hissed, slamming my fist into the mantle. "Today, you _will_ leave me in peace!"

The fire, with an air of hurt pride, died down to almost nothing. I collapsed into my chair and polished off the rest of the bottle.

Curse Persephone! Curse all women! If only the blasted creatures were as rational as men. If only…

The wine slowly got to my head, and I drifted off into sleep.


	30. Chapter 28: Persephone

As soon as Hades stormed out of the room, Aspasia gave me a flat look.

"What?" I asked defensively. "I didn't do anything."

Aspasia looked skeptical, but didn't say anything.

"I don't have to explain myself to you. You're just a servant. _His_ servant. I know that you've been telling him everything I've said to you."

"This isn't about me, my Lady."

"No, you're right. It's about Hades." I said scornfully. To my consternation, I began to cry. It was only a few tears at first, but then the emotional dam that had been building up in me burst, and the tears turned into a bawl.

"I'm dying, Aspasia," I burst out between sobs. "Do you have any idea what that feels like? And it's Hades fault."

"My lady, you know you can't die," she reminded me drily.

"Oh, I don't mean physically! On the inside. My soul is being slowly starved in this dark hellhole. I could have gotten better if he had allowed me to stay in the outside for just a little bit more time, but he sent those monsters after me. I hate him!" My tears dried up in my anger towards him.

Aspasia seemed to struggle for a moment with what to say. "Hades saved you from the wrath of the Furies," she eventually stated.

"I am very aware that Hades condescended to save me after sending those monsters after me," I fumed. I folded my arms against my chest and looked away.

"You don't understand. Hades saved you from a fate worse than death. You may not be aware of the laws of the Underworld, but if you break them, the Furies are entitled to a burnt sacrifice. Hades has nothing to do with what the rules are or who the Furies' victim is. However, if someone is noble enough to do so, they can take another person's payment to be their own. Hades took your punishment on himself and hasn't asked you for anything in return. He is a better man than you give him credit for, and you know it. Stop lying to yourself."

I was knocked speechless by this sudden revelation. Could Hades, cruel, selfish Hades, really do something like that for me?

"When you say burnt sacrifice…" I ventured cautiously.

"I mean that they torture their victim until they die from pain, ending it all in fire. Hades is a god, of course, so it doesn't kill him. It does mean, however, that he should know better, and so those spiteful she-devils are much harder on him than they would or could be to anyone else."

That livid cut on his cheek that refused to heal, that horror-struck face, his break down into tears. It all pointed to this. And that nightmare I had had, were I had been burning. Could that possibly have had anything to do with what Hades had gone through?

"Oh, Acheron," I said, burying my face in my hands, horrified. How could I have been so blind?

"I am truly sorry to tell you like this, my Lady. I know that Hades wanted you to be spared from knowing."

"He was laughing," I whispered.

"What?"

"That day when I fainted in the garden, he laughed with me." I looked up at Aspasia's kind eyes. "How could he have laughed so soon?"

Aspasia just shook her head, perplexed, but I already knew.

I had always heard that love could heal any wound, but I hadn't thought that Hades could feel that deep of love, and for me of all people.

"I have to apologize," I said, starting to head for the door.

"My Lady, I don't think… Hades was extremely vehement about giving up on you. It seems that it is too late to try to make things better."

"I don't care." I forgot all about the garden and instead, hurried through the door. I tried to find Hades, but he was nowhere to be found. I finally gave up in exhaustion. I would look for him later.


	31. Chapter 29: Hades

I awoke the next morning, or what I assumed to be the next morning, with a throbbing headache. And I thought yesterday's headache was bad. Today's felt as if a whole army of smiths were pounding my head with their hammers, chisels, and whatever other blasted things they used.

 _If there's a god of hangovers, I'll kill him,_ I swore.

I stumbled out of the room, knocking into several walls as I went. I headed over to the stables, though I wasn't sure why. Something about how a good kick in the head might make it feel better. In my defense, I wasn't thinking clearly.

On my way, I ran into Persephone, almost literally.

I muttered a curse, stumbling backwards.

Persephone frowned. "It's not very gentlemanly to curse in front of a lady."

I squinted at her. Really? _That's_ was she was going to complain about?

"I'm no gentleman. Not today," I winced as another wave of pain hit me. I rubbed my hand over my temples until it passed.

"You look terrible."

"Thank you very much." Another wave hit me, making me sway. I squeezed my eyes closed against the too bright light (though the Underworld was never lit above a soothing twilight.) _If there_ is _a god of hangovers,_ I silently prayed, _I will sacrifice all my wine to you, if only you'll make my damned headache go away._ Was praying to other gods even allowed? I didn't know, or particularly care.

"You know," Persephone said in that superior tone that woman like to take, "Alcohol rarely makes anything better. In fact, it often makes things worse."

"Thanks, sweetheart," I said sarcastically, rubbing my forehead tiredly.

Persephone had a stricken look on her face. I found I didn't care.

"Hades," she said hesitantly, "I actually wanted to talk to you about something. I wanted to say that-"

"Please," I said, cutting her off. I didn't think that my head could really take anymore. "Just...leave. I don't care what you do anymore. Go back to your mother, or whatever. Take what you want. I just don't care."

I turned back towards my palace and left her standing with her mouth hanging open.

Right inside the entrance, I found Aspasia. Her face was white, with fear I thought for a moment, but when she spoke, I realized that it was actually frustration.

"My Lord, have you seen what she's done? The whole thing is destroyed!"

"What?"

"The garden is gone. The plants are completely-"

I didn't wait to hear the rest. I swiftly made my way to Persephone's garden, and sure enough, it was in ruins. Plants were strewn everywhere, brown and dead. The lilac bush was still in place, but it had wilted to almost nothing. Only the pomegranate tree clung to life, though it too looked diseased.

 _That's it,_ I realized. _That's the final action that makes this charade completely at an end._

Whatever progress had been made was lost, whatever hearts had been softened were hard again. I hadn't been ready to give her up, despite what I had said, but I was now. Persephone would be erased from my affections forever after this. To Tartarus with soulmates and love and the stupid meddling of bored females who had nothing better to do with their time than make men look like fools. I was done with them all.

And I was done with this thrice accursed hangover. I muttered another curse under my breath and went to bed, just like I should have done in the first place.


	32. Chapter 30: Persephone

I watched Hades stumble away from me.

I wasn't sure what I should do or how I should feel. Anger, confusion, hope, and relief all welled up in me. These were all lost in a wave of sadness. How could he just let me go like that? How could he walk away from me right now? Just when I realized that…

 _That I finally found the place where I could be happy._ The thought came out of nowhere and rammed into my awareness.

Could I be happy here? It was one of those thoughts I hadn't allowed myself to have. Maybe it was time to let myself think those thoughts.

I hadn't been happy with Mother before, I had already admitted that to myself. I had told her that I wanted to at least experience the dark, that I wanted to have a husband. That I wanted room to finally come into my own. Well, I finally had it all, whether or not it lived up to my expectations.

I had been trying to forget that argument with Mother while I was down here. I had tried to be loyal to her by trying to convince myself that she was right. I tried to convince myself that I had been happy before with my mother, but the truth was, I was tired of it. I was so tired of her and her high handed ways. I was done with doing what she said just because she was my mother. I had had enough of being her perfect darling. It was time to choose my own path.

Where did Hades fit in my new life, though?

I remembered seeing Hades as I first entered the banquet hall. The other gods and goddesses all tried so hard to carry their authority naturally. Hades was the only one who did, and, somehow, despite his distasteful duties, he had been noble doing so. I had sat by him (though I was slightly afraid of him) because he seemed more genuine than the others, not hiding either his disdain or regard for anyone beneath flowered words or flattering attention. And when I had talked to him, he had encouraged me to speak my mind, allowed me to be curious, things that I had always been forced to conceal by my mother.

The image of the look he sometime got when he saw me rose into my mind, the unconscious smile he would get. That night that I had tried to run away, he had held me as I shook with fear. What was it he had said to me?

" _I'm trying, Persephone, I really am. Please let me."_

I hadn't let him. I had pushed him away when he had kissed me, when he had tried to help me after fainting, when he had confided in me about his mother. He had been kind to me when I had given him every reason to hate me. Except for that last time, when I had accused him of jealousy. I should have realized that he was too noble for such a petty sentiment. He must hate me now.

Why did I care so much? Wouldn't it be better if he just hated me like I hated him?

It was then that I realized, like a burst of sunshine that comes to banish the darkness, that I didn't hate Hades. I loved him, or at least I very easily could. He was the other half of my life that I always felt I had been missing. The constant yearning for another life I had felt while living with Mother had slowly died during my time here. Yes, I missed the world above, but the pain of separation had faded to almost a whisper. If I accepted my life down here, with Hades, I would finally become a complete person. But I had already lost him and it was too late to get him back.

In spite of myself, I almost laughed at the melodramatic thought. Too late? It wasn't too late to do anything until you were dead, and I was immortal.

Mother had been right, I had been a child. I gave up too easily when something was too hard, but not anymore. I would fight for this relationship, not because anyone was forcing me too, but because _I_ had made the choice.

I stood to go to Hades, but thought better of it. Let the poor man sleep for a while. He deserved it after all I had put him through.

I realized quite suddenly how exhausted I was. I was becoming tired more easily now, and the emotional upheaval of the past day or so had been draining. I walked slowly to my chambers, stopping often to catch my breath.

Since my rooms were next to Hades', I walked right passed them. I paused for a moment in front of his door and heard loud snoring coming from the other side. I tried the lock and found it unlatched. Cautiously, I pushed the door open, wincing as it gave out a slight squeak.

Hades was sprawled on the bed, lying on his back. Before I could think better of it, I stepped inside and knelt by his bedside. His flushed face was turned towards me and I could still smell the slight stench of alcohol on his breath.

I reached out and lightly caressed the still livid scar on his cheek. I couldn't even imagine what he had gone through for me. He flinched when my nail accidently caught his lacerated skin. I hastily removed my hand, afraid that he might wake up.

He continued to sleep, to my relief. I stood up and touched his arm gently in farewell and then made my way out of his room to mine and lay down.

Icelus had mercy on me, and my sleep was dreamless. I woke up feeling better than I had for a long time. I stretched out lazily and swung my feet over the side of my bed. A fresh bath was set up for me, courtesy of Aspasia, I was sure. I thanked her in my mind and cleaned myself up.

Afterwards, I got dressed and took extra thought about my clothing choice. Mother had always said that what you wore was an important foundation for confidence. The better you looked, the better you felt about yourself. So, I wore a dark red chiton, trimmed with gold. Red for power and gold for elegance. I allowed my hair to be loose to show it off to its best advantage and added a light, gold headband to give me an added air of command.

Then, I braced myself and looked in the mirror for the first time since my hair had started to change color. I was more surprised than I thought I'd be at what I saw. My black eyes stared at me from a thinner, more mature face and for once in my life they fit the person they belonged to. I leaned in closer to my reflection, fascinated. My hair was, of course, darker, as were my eyebrows and eyelashes. My lips were dark red instead of pink and all color was gone from my cheeks. My skin was smooth and icy.

It was a completely different face, I thought with a panic. But no, I realized as I searched my face, there was my nose and high cheekbones and that expression was certainly mine. I finally looked completely like the Queen of the Underworld, I realized. The thought frightened me, yes, but not as much as it once had.

Abruptly, I turned on my heel and swept out of the room.

There was a servant outside walking down the hall. Whether it was the same servant that pointed me towards Hades' room after his incident with the Furies, I couldn't tell. They all looked the same to me.

"Where's Hades?" I asked, surprising myself with the command that was in my voice.

"He's in the Throne Room, My Lady. Lord Hermes has arrived and says he has a message from Lord Zeus," the servant answered with a bow.

I thanked the servant and went to Hades' throne room. I cautiously peeked in. There was Hades, sitting on his throne. He was wearing the same mask of control that I remembered seeing at the banquet. My heart ached to see him like this, so shut off from the world. If we had been alone, I would have ran to him and begged his pardon, but I didn't dare let Hermes catch sight of me.

Hermes was standing in front of Hades, flying nervously a few inches from the ground and carefully avoiding Hades' eyes. He was saying something that I couldn't quite catch. I needed to get closer.

I stayed in the shadows around the edges of the room, which was easy enough. The Underworld was never lit very brightly. I finally got to a place where I could hear them both and hid myself behind a pillar.


	33. Chapter 31: Hades

I had been feeling much better. Sleep had done wonders for my mood and outlook. I had even felt good enough to shave and change into a black suit. That was before Hermes came. Now, I wished that I was back in bed, or at least still drunk.

 _He looks so comical with his winged sandals,_ I decided after observing him flitting around in them. He looked like a young schoolgirl fluttering around her new beau. _It's ridiculous. Horses are a much better way of traveling._

"Hades, are you listening to me?" Hermes asked.

I banished the slight smiled I had had and did my best to look disdainful and imposing, just like he expected. "Excuse me, Hermes. I'm afraid my mind was on other things. Please, continue."

"As I was saying, Demeter is outraged by her daughter's disappearance. She has declared that there will be no Spring or Summer until Kore is returned. It's a disaster! Mortals are dying off left and-"

"Yes, I noticed," I interrupted dryly. Hermes looked distinctly uncomfortable.

"O-of course," Hermes stammered. He was looking at a point just above my shoulder, avoiding eye contact.

 _Gods,_ I thought with disgust, _they're always so ill at ease with their own immortality._

"Zeus, of course, can't allow this," Hermes continued, "and so he commands that you return Kore to Demeter's custody at once."

I didn't respond to his demand right away. Hermes was the type of god that liked to do things quickly, especially if he was in the Underworld. Being the contrary person I was, that made me want to take my own sweet time.

I rose from my throne and crossed the room to one of the columns that lined the edges. This one depicted an old man freezing to death. It was very detailed, down to the scraggly hairs on his balding head and beard. The face was the most disturbing. The artist had captured the look of fear and despair perfectly. Now that I recall it, the artist who had sculpted it had actually frozen to death.

I thought about what Hermes just said. It seemed that Persephone hadn't left yet. Why? I would have thought that she would leave at the first opportunity. Could it be that she…?

Impossible. After a moment of thought, I choose not to tell Hermes that I already told Persephone to go. I could still irritate my brother by withholding the information, if nothing else.

"And why should I listen?" My voice was barely above a whisper, calculated to make Hermes have to strain to catch what I was saying. As I spoke, my fingers trailed along the stone ridges of the column. "My kingdom grows larger by the day, I have a beautiful Queen, and I'm helping my dear younger brother keep his promises all at the same time. It seems that I have no incentive to 'return' Persephone at all."

I turned back to Hermes, who now had a very disturbed look on his face. I could have sworn that I caught a glimpse of a shadow moving away out of the corner of my eye. When I turned my head, it was gone. I ignored it for now.

"You don't need an incentive," Hermes voice had a slight quiver to it. "Zeus, the King of the gods and mortals, has spoken. You are to obey."

I sat back on my throne.

"King Zeus," I whispered. "I would have been king. I should have been king. Then you would be my messenger." I smiled at Hermes, who flinched. My smiled widened. I was enjoying frightening him more than I should have. "But I am not. So," I spoke louder, rising again from my cold, empty throne, "I will obey the 'king' _._ Go tell _His Majesty_ that I will come and I will bring Persephone, but more than that is impossible. Do you understand?"

Hermes nodded.

"Go!"

Hermes left as quickly as possible, his whole frame trembling from his curled hair to his flying feet. _Coward,_ I thought contemptuously.

Now I had to face Persephone. I didn't know what I would say to her, but I promised to bring her, and unlike some people I kept my promises. Except I told Persephone she could leave. I tried not to think about it too much.

I called for Aspasia to come in.

"Yes, my Lord?"

"Bring me Persephone."

Aspasia didn't move.

"Didn't you hear me, woman? _Bring me Persephone!_ I know she's around here somewhere." My voice was harsh with frustration and perhaps a hint of desperation.

"Zeus has asked for her back, hasn't he?"

I nodded mutely, my head turned away from her.

Aspasia cursed. "Retrieve thy queen and bring her to Olympus without delay. Thou shalt find her in her garden," she commanded with such authority that I started to obey without question.

"Wait," I stopped, realizing that I was obeying a servant, "where are you going?"

"I have a grievance with Zeus that I should have resolved long before," Aspasia declared passionately. She swept out of the room without another word, leaving me standing there with my mouth agape.

Once I got over my surprise somewhat, I left to do what she said.


	34. Chapter 32: Persephone

I had heard all that I needed to in the throne room, so I left after only a few moments of listening in. Hermes, ever the faithful servant to Zeus, would take me back to my mother and father without a moment's hesitation. Hades, in essence, had already banished me from his sight, and so was unlikely to help me with my newly realized desire to stay, so I needed to act on my own.

Beyond wanting to stay, I needed a way to show Hades how much I actually had come to care about him, to give him some show of my affection that he wouldn't be able to ignore. But what could I do?

Aspasia would know, of course. Aspasia always knew.

I didn't have a moment to lose. Hades would be wanting to take me back to Mt Olympus at any minute. With what little energy I had left, I ran to my rooms.

"Aspasia!" I called once there. No answer came. I was breathing hard at this point, but nevertheless, I wheeled around and sped through the halls, calling her name.

My stamina quickly faded and I began to collapse against a wall, only to find gentle hands supporting me.

"Mistress," Aspasia's quiet voice said, "I think you should rest."

"No, no…" I gasped. "Aspasia, please...I need your help. How do I show Hades... I love him? I need to do it now."

There was a surprised interlude. "What made you change your mind, Mistress?" She asked.

"Nevermind that, I can't waste time. What can I do?"

Aspasia, still supporting me, led me to a place where I could sit and gather my strength. I supposed that she was considering my question, because she didn't say a word until I had sat and my breathing had slowed.

"You could eat," she said.

I gave her a flat look. "I'm being serious. It needs to be bigger than that, something that will leave him with no doubt that I choose him."

"Of course. However, please still consider the idea," she said politely. "Allow me to explain: the food in the Underworld is unlike any food elsewhere. Once you partake of the food here, you are filled with the desire to stay above all else. Not only that, but you bind yourself to the Underworld and let it become a part of you. I think that the Master would understand this token, especially if you were to explain that you knew what you were doing."

It finally all made sense. Of course Hades had pressured me to eat, it would have made me love him and the Underworld without him having to win me at all. For a moment, I was angry. What a cheap trick! The feeling changed the next moment when I realized that he hadn't actually ever used it. Both as a man and a person who was well-fed, he could have easily overpowered weakened, female me at any point and forced me to eat, but he hadn't. If I _had_ eaten, I might have done it in ignorance of the consequences, but it still would have been my own choice to eat it.

I stood, my decision made. "Aspasia," I said. "When Hades is done, inform him that I will be waiting for him in the garden." New strength overcame me and I was able to walk the distance to the garden briskly and without help. I knew exactly what I wanted to do.

The pomegranate tree stood in the midst of the desolate garden and, even in that wasteland, was ladened with fruit, red, round, and ripe. That tree had been the first thing that Hades had given me. It had been the place where I found him at his lowest point, trembling from the punishment he took for me. It was where I had fainted from exhaustion and he had rushed to help. It survived my destructive outburst when everything else had died. It, more than any other place, represented everything good in our relationship and it was what I wanted to build the rest of it on.

With surprising ease, I broke open the biggest and ripest of the fruit. The seeds shone like the jewels of the Underworld, clear, scarlet rubies. I took one and closed my eyes in a silent prayer to Hades, committing this act to him. Then, I put the seed in my mouth and bit down.

After going so long without sustenance, this tiny bead of juice tasted better than ambroise. That was what I first noticed. What I noticed next was more pronounced. Any hate and unhappiness I still felt about the Underworld was lessened, confusion and bitterness about Hades was replaced by understanding and sympathy.

My eyes widened at the unexpected force of the emotions, but I wasn't fully satisfied. I ate another one, even slower this time, focusing on my developing emotions. I looked into my heart and searched for my growing love for Hades.

It wasn't there.

It was the original love, untouched by any magic. Yes, I did now see beauty in the Underworld where I hadn't before, but the feelings I had expected to come for Hades weren't there. And I didn't need them to be.

An insatiable hunger overpowered me and that seed was followed by yet another one, and another, and with each seed, my connection with the Underworld became more deep. It was intoxicating. Almost unable to stop myself, I reached for more.


	35. Chapter 33: Hades

I didn't see Persephone at first. Then I noticed her standing under the pomegranate tree, holding half a pomegranate in her hand and raising a seed to her mouth.

"Stop!" I cried without thinking. She turned with a start, dropping the seed and the pomegranate as she did so. "Don't eat that."

"Hades, why? You've been telling me to eat for days-"

"If you eat that, you'll never be able to leave the Underworld again." Why was I telling her this? Isn't this what I wanted? _No_ , I realized. _It isn't_. What I wanted was her love given freely and unforced, and since I wasn't going to get that, I didn't want a cheap imitation.

Persephone walked over to me, then did something that gave me the biggest surprise of my life. She put her arms around my neck and laid her head against my chest. I stood there, unable to move.

"I know," Persephone whispered. "Aspasia told me." I started to say something, but she put a finger to my mouth, stopping me. "I need to tell you something before another word is spoken. I love you. I don't want to go back to my mother or back to that old life. I want to stay here with you, so I took matters into my own hands. I was looking for some way to hide when Aspasia told me about the food in the Underworld."

She lifted her face up towards me and, in a daze, I noticed that her lips were already stained with red. She pulled my face down to hers and kissed me. It was everything that I had wanted from the start: full of love and trust and a mutual need for one another. For a moment, I forgot all my pain and hurt.

But then that moment ended. I pulled away from her.

"That's the pomegranate talking, not you. And even if it was you, you can't just expect everything to be alright now, Persephone. We both have said and done things that can't be taken back. I'm sorry, but this is done."

I looked down at her regretfully. She looked more beautiful and stunning than I had ever seen her before and I longed to let myself give in, but I knew that I was right. I pulled her arms off of my neck and she didn't resist. Even still, I didn't leave right away. Was I really ready to give up everything I had worked for for months? _I already made my decision_ , I reminded myself. I hardened my heart and walked away.

"I knew that I loved you before I ate," she said, grabbing my forearm, "The pomegranate had no affect on my feelings for you. And besides, I refuse to believe that someone would go through hell for another person only to give them up. I'm not saying that we can start over, but we can start again, and this time you won't be the only one trying. I promise."

There was a long pause in which neither one of us moved.

"So, you found out about the Furies, huh?" I finally said.

"I did."

Another long silence.

I sighed, exasperated, and folded my arms. "Look," I said, talking slowly to prevent myself from making any more hasty decisions, "even if we were to try this again, Zeus wouldn't let us."

Persephone smirked and somehow got a hold of one of my hands. In spite of myself, I allowed her to and took a step closer, so close that our bodies were only a hair apart. "You can't get rid of me that easy. There's nothing that Zeus can do now that I've eaten food from the Underworld. Don't lie to me, because I know I'm right. I want to spend my life here, with you."

That made me step back again. "It won't be much of a life. You're dying." The words came out blunter than I had meant them and hung in the air between us. A heavy, painful sigh escaped me as I confessed, "I-our god powers aren't just an extension of ourselves, Persephone, they _are_ us. We embody them, and they give us godhood. Mine is the power of death. I can kill _anything_. That is true reason that the patheon hates me; I am the true, the only threat to their power. I used that power on your god power and I might as well have used it on you directly. I'm sorry, but...you'll be dead and soulless in less than a month."

Saying those words forced me to face their reality more completely than I had before. Persephone, the bright and beautiful Spring, would be dead and by my hands. Dead with no hope of redemption for herself or me.

As I expected, Persephone was crying, but not the full on wailing that I had expected.

"I won't pretend..." Persephone took several shaky breaths to steady her quivering voice, "I don't want to die-"

"I didn't mean to," I interjected quietly. Even to my ears, the words sounded weak and inadequate. Meaningless.

"But," she continued, "I would be honored-no, grateful-if I could stay here with you before I am gone forever."

What could I say to such a request? What answer could I give, but yes? I could not grasp, however, the idea that I was her choice of companionship for her remaining life. I, the one who had cut it off prematurely.

"You really want to stay here-with me?" I asked in disbelief.

Persephone nodded. That was it. To Zeus with caution. I couldn't deny the woman who was willing to give up everything for me. My arms moved of their own accord as they wrapped themselves around Persephone and held her close. I reached my hand up and stroked her hair.

It was jet black.

My lips moved to hers, and I kissed her with all the desperation that had been building up over my long years of solitude. She met my kiss with the same passion. I kissed her lips, her eyelids, her neck, wishing with a regret that cut my soul that we had time to just be together.

We stood like that, time meaning nothing, for what seemed like an eternity, until I eventually broke away from her.

"We have to go. They're expecting us in Olympus."

Persephone pursed her lips together, but nodded. Then, with my arm securely around her waist, I went to stables, and ordered my chariot. Persephone clung to me with the same desperation that I felt as I held her close.

The whole mountain was deadly quiet and there was not a soul to be seen as we made our way up to the large Pantheon. There was no stuffy servant at the double doors this time. They were wide open. We entered into the long throne room, where Zeus sat on his golden throne, with Demeter on one side and Hermes on the other.

Demeter gave a cry at the sight of her daughter, and rushed towards her. Sobbing, she embraced Persephone. Persephone coolly embraced her and pulled back, to Demeter's surprise.

"Kore! What's the matter? What happened to your hair? Aren't you glad to see me?"

"I'll always be glad to see you, mother." Persephone's voice was warm, but it had none of the relief and joy that Demeter was expecting. She opened her mouth to reprove Persephone, but Zeus cut her off.

"Hades! I'm glad you saw reason and brought the girl." Zeus looked older than he did the last time I had seen him. Not that his face looked any less youthful, but there was a new weariness in his eyes that hadn't been there before.

"You're right, I brought the girl, but I haven't seen reason." I looked over to Persephone, who smiled. I drew strength from her. "I refuse to give her back. Her rightful place, as my wife, is beside me." Zeus' face was forbidding, but I kept going one with my explanation. "More than that, I am not able to give her back. She has eaten a seed of a pomegranate tree that grows in a garden by my palace."

"Actually," Persephone interjected, "I ate nine seeds and I did so of my own free will."

Neither of us mentioned Persephone's state.

Demeter gave a gasp and began to hyperventilate. I noticed that, though her movements were flighty and gave the impression of a loss of control, Demeter's eyes were hard as stone. This was a master actress at work.

Zeus looked at Persephone, judging the sincerity of her words. It was obvious that she was speaking the truth. Anger burned in Zeus' eyes when he realized that he had been thwarted. I smiled in victory. There was nothing Zeus could do now.

"Demeter," Zeus' voice was dangerously low, "take your daughter and leave. I declare that Hades is no longer Lord of the Underworld and I banish him from ever returning there."

"You can't do that!" I exploded. Unthinkingly, I charged towards Zeus' throne. Zeus rose to meet me, a lightning bolt forming in his hand.

"Can't I?" He thundered. "I am the King. Not you!"

I found myself physically unable to move from the spot that I was at, just a few feet from Zeus.

"Why, Zeus? Ask yourself why you are king?" I shouted, fighting against whatever was holding me in place. "Because you earned it? No! I gave up the crown to preserve the peace. I gave it up because I knew that if I did not, there would be another war, and it would tear the world apart."

"You were never fit to be king!" Zeus bellowed over me. "Nor were you fit to rule the sky. Koalemos, Hades! You could have killed even the titans with a touch."

"I swore off using that power, Zeus, and I keep my word."

"You think you would," he spat at me. "But your temper is famous. How long do you think you could have lasted under the pressures of kinghood before you snapped? How long could you have stood the endless petitions and the endless demands that ruling the sky brings? You would have ended up in that pit one way or another. Do you think that anyone wanted you to rule them? Do you think that they even wanted you near them?"

"You bribed the rest of the pantheon, whether you choose to admit it or not. There were plenty of gods that would have supported me to be king, because it was just. You knew this, I knew this, but I loved peace more than I lusted for power. I didn't want to spend eternity ruling. All I asked for in return was sky. You swore, remember Zeus? You swore, on Mother Earth herself, that it would be mine."

Zeus had sat back down at this point. Demeter and Hermes looked astounded at this revelation. That was a weighty accusation, one the no one else known about this.

Persephone walked up behind me and took my hand, concern showing in her face. I drew to a close, my voice was quieter, but still strong. "You broke your vow, the vow made on Mother Earth. You broke the most sacred vow that any person can make, because you were unsure that you were able to rule with strength and you were afraid that if I stayed around, I would take your throne from you."

The throne was as silent as the grave for three heartbeats.


	36. Chapter 34: Hades

"Yes, Zeus, thou hast broken thy sacred vow." It was a new voice, from the back of the room. We all turned, and I saw, with surprise, that it was Aspasia.

And yet, it wasn't. The form was the same, but the bearing was completely different. It was an Aspasia that I had caught a glimpse of earlier. This Aspasia was divine, even more majestic in her bearing than Zeus was.

"I am Gaia, the Mother of all the Earth, and I have come to see that justice is done," Aspasia, or rather Gaia, said. I found myself suddenly released, and I moved back to where I was standing before. As one, Persephone, Hermes, and I bowed our heads before the Being from whom all life had sprung. Zeus and Demeter kept their heads up stubbornly.

Gaia approached me.

"My child," she said softly, lifting up my chin. "I did not know that thy father had consumed thee, or any of thy siblings that followed thee, until thy mother came to me with Zeus for mine help. It is for that reason that Zeus was saved, and not thee. Thy mother did love thee, as do I. We both would have saved thee, had we been able."

At her words, a different image of my mother replace the one that I had carried for so long, one who was scared to death for herself and for her child, but was unsure of what to do, who to trust, or where to turn to. Those simple words lifted a burden from my chest and I felt freer than I had for a long while.

She turned to Zeus. Slowly, grudgingly, he bowed his head before her.

"Thou hast committed a great injustice towards thy brother. I cannot ignore it any longer. A vow was made in my name, and I must see that this vow is made right. I cannot give Hades the sky, since he is the Lord of the Underworld in heart and in name as thou art the Ruler of the Skies, and so, for this reason, I curse thee, Zeus. Thou shalt be overthrown, but not by thy seed as were thy fathers, but by thine own pride. The mortals shall forget thee, and thou and thy power shall fade into oblivion."

Zeus seemed to shrink upon hearing his sentence. He lost the facade of confidence that had been so prevalent in his personality from the day he overthrew the Titans.

Next, Gaia came to Persephone.

"Thou hast finally come to love Hades as he deserves. Thou wast always meant for life below the ground." At our surprised faces, she smiled and explained, "Only those who are gods of the Underworld have black eyes as the kind thou wert born with."

I felt Persephone stiffen at my side. "What do you mean, it was always meant to be? I am the goddess of Spring. I didn't have anything to do with the Underworld until Hades abducted me."

Gaia didn't answer Persephone. She was looking at Demeter, whose face was like a stone.

"Demeter," she said softly, "this is thy tale to tell, I think."

Demeter's expression turned livid. She folded her arms against her chest and lifted her chin up stubbornly. She stayed silent.

"Mother," Persephone pleaded, walking to her mother and putting her hand on her arm, "please."

Persephone was much more patient than I ever could be. I probably would have throttled the woman at this point.

Demeter's eyes softened as she looked up at her daughter. Then she saw Persephone's hair. That black mass more than anything made her lose her temper. She yanked her arm from Persephone's grasp.

"Don't touch me, you little traitor," she hissed. "I tried so hard to keep you away from him, and you now you want to stay with him more than you do with me."

Gaia held up her hand. "Enough! This is irrelevant at the moment. You will tell your story."

Demeter lips trembled with rage at being commanded like that, but she had no choice but to obey the power more ancient than her own. The story burst out of her.

"I was concerned when you opened your eyes for the first time and they were as dark as ebony. I knew that black eyes were the sign of an Underworld Deity, so I did what any mother would have done and took you to the Fates. They told me that the Ichor of Cronus, my father and the last King of the Underworld, flows strong in your veins, and that you were destined to one day rule the Underworld at the side of Hades. No daughter of mine is going to be shut up in that stinking hellhole, so I kept you as far from other gods as I could. Then Zeus," she shot him a death glare,"had to have his precious feast and _command_ everyone to go. When I saw you talking to Hades, I knew that I had to move quickly. I tried to remove you from his influence, but I was too late. You started questioning everything that I taught you, and I was so close to making you into what you needed to be."

"Mother!" Persephone's voice was horrified, "You cannot escape fate. Things never end well for those who do. You know the stories just as well as I. What have you done?"

Demeter didn't answer, but kept a stubborn look on her face.

"Mother Gaia," I asked, slightly confused, "was this all fate or did you plan this?"

"I do not plan destiny, for that is the duty of others. However, it was indeed fate. So, nay," she said, looking at Persephone, "thou wast not stolen by Hades, but simply taken to the place where thou dost belong."

"I'm afraid," Persephone said with a quiet voice and a glance down at her clasped hands, "that I won't be there for long."

This, of course, caused demands for answers from Demeter and gentle inquiries from Gaia. Persephone, with occasional help from me, explained everything that happened. The horror on Demeter's face and her hate-filled glares that she threw at me were genuine enough.

"Is there anything you can do?" I asked Mother Gaia at the end of Persephone's narrative. "The world needs Spring and I," I smiled sadly at Persephone and pulled her close to me, "need my queen."

Persephone returned the smile with one of her own. It was filled with tremulous love and made me wonder what I had ever done in my life to deserve such a gift. She leaned against me, showing me again her love, but also from her extreme weakness.

"I am the Mother of All Life. In me was the first stirrings of life, and from me was everything created. Thy powers, Hades, can hold no sway over my words. And so, I say to thee, Persephone of the Underworld and of Spring, that thou shalt again have thy immortality." Mother Gaia raised her hand in a blessing over Persephone and immediately, Persephone gasped and stood up straight. Since I was standing so close to her, I could almost feel the power that suddenly was coursing through her for one moment and was gone the next.

Persephone turned to me eagerly and grabbed my face to kiss me. In my joy and relief, and I kissed her back with all my heart, even to the point that I lifted her off her feet and spun her in a giddy circle.

Finally, Gaia turned to Demeter and Persephone and I stopped so that we could listen to her words.

"I know that thou dost love thy child, but she is no longer thine. She belongs to her husband, and he to her, as it should be. However, I shall be merciful to thee. Since Persephone partook of nine pomegranate seeds, she shall spend nine months of the year with Hades in the Underworld, and the remaining three with thee. In return, since I know that I cannot stop thee from grieving, thou shalt only cause the plants to stop growing for six months of the year. In this manner shall I also show mercy to the mortals that live on the land below. They shall have six months to prepare their fruits and grains, and six months to remember thee and thy sufferings."

Demeter wasn't happy at all with that arrangement, I could tell, but even she wasn't foolish enough to argue with a decree from Mother Gaia. However, in a moment, her expression changed from angry stubbornness to one of desperation. The proud goddess collapsed to her knees in front of our ancient forebear.

"Please, please, at least grant me one wish, Wise One." I judged the plea in her voice to be a sincere one and it moved Gaia to compassion.

"If it is in my power to give, I shall give it thee," she answered, placing a tender hand on Demeter's shoulder.

"When my daughter is with me, let her be all mine. Bar any that are of the Underworld to visit, see, or speak to her during our time together."

Now it was my turn to be angry. How dare she try to keep me from my own wife! I opened my mouth to protest, but a sharp look from Gaia silenced me.

"Demeter, I grant thy request. It is only fitting," she said, with a pointed glance at me, "since thou canst not visit her in the Underworld."

"Thank you!" Demeter kissed Gaia's hand in gratitude, and I detected her old dramatics were coming back to my sister. The sight both irritated and disgusted me.

I wasn't happy with this arrangement at all, but as Persephone has reminded me since, a good compromise leaves everyone displeased.

Gaia then said to Persephone, "Child, I shall let thee choose with whom thou wilt go first. Remember, there are mortals suffering already because of the choices of thy mother and husband."

I was suddenly unsure of whether or not Persephone would chose me. It was true, however, that she had eaten the fruit of the Underworld. _She will want to stay with me,_ I reassured myself.

Persephone looked between Demeter and me. I kept my eyes on the ground, not wanting to influence her choice. I felt her stand by my side and put her hand in mine. I lifted my face with a smile of triumph. My smiled faded, however, when I saw the guilt in her eyes.

"I'm sorry," she whispered to me. My heart plummeted into my stomach. She walked to her mother and said, "For the sake of the mortals, I will spend the next three months with my mother." Demeter looked happy, truly happy, and Gaia smiled.

"Thou hast made a goodly choice, my daughter. I bless thee and thy house."

Gaia looked me in the eyes, and raised her eyebrow. I nodded to her, letting her know that it was enough.

There was a flash of light, and I blinked. When I opened my eyes, Gaia was gone, leaving the scent of warm earth and roses behind her.

"That's that, I suppose," Zeus said with a sigh.

Demeter shook herself and laid her hand on Persephone's shoulder. "Come," she said, walking away.

Persephone didn't follow quite yet. She turned and looked at me. I opened my mouth to say something, but nothing came out. She walked towards me and took my hands. Neither of us said a word. Then, I drew my bride close to me and kissed her deeply- silently promising her a better future together.

Persephone tore herself away and ran after Demeter, but not without one last backward glance and smile for me.

My own face had a smile on it. That left as soon as I turned and saw Zeus. Zeus seemed hesitant as he faced me, his older brother. A long moment passed as we looked one another in the eyes. Finally, I gave him a curt nod, an indication not of forgiving, but at least the promise of forgetting. He nodded back to me.

I left the stormy mountain that should have been my kingdom more content than if the whole Universe had bowed to me as king.

Well, that wasn't quite true. There was still one more thing I wanted to do.


	37. Chapter 35: Hades

Dead leaves covered the ground, a token of Demeter's recent bereavement. There were signs on the trees of the fast approaching Spring, however. Flower buds and green leaves were just starting to make their appearance, which juxtaposed the brown leaves in a strangely beautiful way.

The slight wind shook the branches of the trees, whispering word of my arrival as it went. I was walking along a long dirt path that snaked and twisted its way up a hill and to a small cottage at the top.

I walked the distance, my hesitant feet making the trek seem longer, until I came to the door of the cottage. I stood there, staring at the grooves in the wood and tried to will my hand to knock on the door.

I couldn't do it. I put my hands in my pocket and pivoted on my heel. After I had only taken a few steps, the door swung open.

"Yes?" A down to earth voice asked. "What can I do for you?"

I froze where I stood, not wanting to look, but unable to go on.

Keeping my back to the person, I answered, "I'm looking for someone."

"Oh? Well, I'm the only one who lives here, so I suppose you could say that I'd probably be acquainted with whomever it is that you're seeking." I could hear the laughter in her voice, just like I remembered it.

"I'm looking for my mother."

An astonished silence met my words. I turned around and saw her for the first time since my torture. She was still the tall and graceful woman I remembered, but she looked older and there was a gleam of mirth in her eyes that my vision hadn't quite gotten right.

"Hades? Is that really you?" She took a step forward, her hand outstretched to me.

"Hello, Mother." I gave her a slight smile.

"I-I can't believe it. You look so different. You cut your hair."

"I did," was all I could think of to say.

"What brought you all the way down here? I was sure I would never see you again." To my embarrassment, she started to cry. She came up to me and gathered me in her arms and just cried.

"Mother, I'm sorry."

"No, no. I'm the one to be sorry. Oh, Hades, I'm just glad you came back." She touched my cheek, the one that had the scar. It had closed up, but still hadn't fully healed. I wasn't sure it ever would.

"I got married," I said to distract us both.

She released me with a squeal. "To who?"

"To, ah, Demeter's daughter. Persephone, I mean. She-well, I-it's a long story."

She was still crying, so I handed her my handkerchief.

"Come inside," she said excitedly, still wiping her eyes.

"I can't stay for long. I just wanted to say hello."

"Is that all?" She sounded disappointed.

"Well, no. I also came to apologize." I took a deep breath, "I just learned the truth of your circumstances when I was born. I really wish I had known that earlier. It would have saved us both so much pain, I think. I also wanted to tell you that you are no longer exiled. I arranged it with Zeus. He agrees that you deserve freedom after all you've gone through."

Rhea took the news with composure, but her face didn't hold any of the happiness I had anticipated. She sat down on a plain wooden chair that stood against the wall of her little house.

After a minute, she said, "The world must have changed so much since I've been in it, and I haven't changed at all. I would just be out of place in such a big world."

I shrugged. "It's your choice, whatever you decide to do." I started to walk away. I had a thought and turned back to her. "Why don't you come visit me in the Underworld sometime? You could meet my wife." A smiled came to my lips as I finally said those words.

She shook her head uncertainly. "I don't think so, Hades. That's a little too near...well, you know who I mean."

Who...? Ah, yes. Kronos. I could understand that. I didn't really want to be so close to my father either, but I, unfortunately, didn't have much of a choice.

We stared at each other for a moment, committing the sight of the other person to memory. I broke the silence.

"I guess...this is goodbye then?"

"I suppose so. For now, at least."

I nodded and left back down the dirt trail. I put my hands in my pockets and whistled softly through my teeth.

Only three months until Persephone came back. _Two months and twenty-nine days_ , I corrected myself with a smile, looking at the setting sun.


	38. Epilogue

Persephone spent the next three months with her mother, explaining to the mortals about the change of the seasons and teaching them how to store their food. At the end of those months, my Persephone came back to me, healthy and happy. She settled into the Underworld much better this time around, partly thanks to her new handmaid and friend that she brought with her to take the place of Aspasia: Hekate, who declares that the Underworld is better suited to her than anywhere in the Upper World ever was. It has certainly became a more pleasant place for me. Persephone adds her own touches to it, making it into the home it had never been.

I lost my bitterness towards Zeus over time, with Persephone's help, though she and I still avoid going to Olympus unnecessarily. We prefer to stay in the Underworld with each other for company.

Nine months later, Persephone went to spend her time with Demeter. They were, after a very long time of talking and arguing, able to forgive one another. Demeter is more attached to her daughter than ever before and never stops trying to get Persephone to spend more time with her, or, "if Persephone insists," stay with her indefinitely. Persephone hasn't accepted her offers yet, but threatens me that she will when I won't give her her way. It usually works, and I cave into her requests.

We soon had a child, a girl we named Melinoe. She was born with thick hair and beautiful eyes. She is truly a child of both the light and the dark in her physical appearance. One half of her hair is black, and the other is the same shade of gold that her mother had. She also has a dark eye, like mine and Persephone's, and one that is a very pale blue, like her grandparents on her mother's side. Though she is as beautiful as her mother, she is a true daughter of the Underworld at heart, with my personality.

Every other year, she accompanies her mother to the world above. She does this even though she prefers being in the Underworld with me, but I know that Persephone wants her to go, so I send her anyway.

When she is back in the Underworld, Persephone often teases me about becoming soft, since I tend to intercede in the judgements of young girls with gold hair. I just laugh with her, because she's right. Her presence in the Underworld has changed everything for me.

Persephone has also changed. She is a true Queen of the Underworld: stern and terrible when she wants to be, but she still has a soft side that she lets out, especially to me and Melinoe.

She has expanded her garden and works in it with Melinoe. That is, whenever Melinoe isn't riding around with me, exploring the Underworld. She has lit up our world so much. I tend to be a tad overprotective, but Persephone is always careful to give her a lot of freedom to do what she wants and be her own person.

Life, of course, isn't perfect, but sometimes I feel that it is very close.

 **Thank you so much to everyone who has read, favorited, or reviewed the story! It means so much to me, and I'm glad I was able to share a little bit of my writing with you :)**


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